


Dazzling Light | ATEEZ

by angeltigerlily



Category: ATEEZ (Band), CLC (Band), Dreamcatcher (Korea Band), Mamamoo, ONEUS (Band), Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Badass Dreamcatcher, Best Girl Dami, Blood and Gore, Choi Jongho is Whipped, Confident Sua, Cute Assistant Gahyeon, Dom/sub Undertones, Dominatrix Siyeon, Extremely Fragile Jeong Yunho: Handle With Care, F/F, F/M, Hardcore Kang Yeosang, Hongjoong is Moonbyul’s Slave, Hurt Park Seonghwa, Kang Yeosang is Whipped, Kim Hongjoong is Whipped, Leedo is Whipped to Stiff Peaks, M/M, Minor Character Death, Protective Jiu, Ravn is Not Evil, Rich CEO Handong, Sad Park Seonghwa, Soft Ateez Except Yeosang, The Author Regrets Everything, Unhinged Yoohyeon, Vampire Dreamcatcher, Vampire Slayer Yeeun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-23 12:21:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angeltigerlily/pseuds/angeltigerlily
Summary: Seonghwa is an ill boy who was adopted by the Kang family 11 months after being placed there. He was close to aging out of the foster care system, so he was incredibly happy to be adopted. His adoptive brother Yeosang is thrilled, but at the same time, he knows this means his crush on him will be unrequited forever.Yeosang and Seonghwa are ready to embark on their new life together, but one night changes everything.• Vampire AU inspired by the anime Blood+ and Blood: The Last Vampire• Rated M for violence, gore, language, mature themes and sex• Romance plot is Seongsang (Yeosang x Seonghwa) vs Seongjoong (Hongjoong x Seonghwa)• Established Suayeon (Siyeon x Sua)• Possible Yeeun x Seonghwa (YeHwa?)• Possible Ravn x Leedo (Please tell me the ship name, for now I'll call them RaDo)
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Jeong Yunho, Han Dong | Handong/Lee Gahyeon, Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa, Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Geonhak | Leedo/Kim Youngjo | Ravn, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon, Kim Yoohyeon & Lee Yubin | Dami
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Characters

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from asianfanfics and wattpad cause i'm experimenting with different fanfiction hosting sites

#  **Characters**

###  **MAIN**

**Park Seonghwa**

A boy supposedly born with a severe form of anemia that requires blood transfusions. He was orphaned at the age of 11 and his closest living relative was deemed ineligible to be his guardian. Because of his condition and the cost of his medical bills, no one wanted to adopt him so he spent 5 years in foster care. Luckily, he was adopted by the middle-class Kang family. Seonghwa has a dark secret that may involve vampires, royal bloodlines and an impending war.

**Kang Yeosang**

Previously the only son of the Kang family until they adopted Seonghwa. During the adoption probation period, Yeosang becomes very close to Seonghwa and develops romantic feelings for him. On one hand, he's glad Seonghwa has found a family who will love him and care for him, but on the other hand, he has to get rid of his damn feelings because Seonghwa is now his brother. When he learns about Seonghwa's secret, he agrees to turn into the stuff of nightmares just to stay by his side.

**Kim Hongjoong**

A white-haired man who works for Polaris Social Services. It seems he chose to dedicate his life to protecting and serving Seonghwa, even without orders. May become Yeosang's love rival if he sorts out his feelings. He appears to be somewhat of an errand boy in Polaris instead of an actual employee. Complains that Bora doesn't pay him enough for his services. Bora counters that he doesn't even do his designated job, he's just tailing Seonghwa like a lost puppy.

###  **POLARIS SOCIAL SERVICES**

**Kim Bora**

The head of Polaris Social Services Korea and the one in charge of Seonghwa's case. Yubin and everyone else answers to her. She seems to know what's going on with Ravn's group, and has a personal connection to "the Wolf". For some reason, Seonghwa feels a strong emotional connection towards her, and Bora is somewhat motherly towards him.

**Lee Yubin**

A Polaris Social Services worker and is the one responsible for monthly inspections during Seonghwa's probation period with the Kang family. Even after that, she continues to watch over Seonghwa, apparently under Bora's orders. Had Seonghwa aged out of the system, she would have taken him in if he wanted. She seems to know "the Wolf" personally too.

**Yook Sungjae**

Seonghwa's "uncle" who lives in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do and the cousin of his "mother" and is the closest living "relative" he has. He was going to be Seonghwa's guardian after his "parents" death, but his low income wouldn't be able to support his needs, so the system deemed him ineligible. Sungjae told Seonghwa that if he fails to find an adoptive family, he can just live with him if he ages out of the system.

**Ko Shinwon**

A Polaris agent who is lower than Yubin in the command chain and is in the same rank as Yuta. He is a licensed teacher and his role in the organization is to supervise the educational needs of the teenagers under Polaris' care. He handles "special cases" like Seonghwa, who shifts between regular schooling and home-schooling due to "illness and/or other physical disabilities".

**Nakamoto Yuta**

A Polaris agent who works under Yubin's team. He is a licensed psychologist and he is responsible for the mental health of the teenagers, as orphans are more susceptible to mental health issues. Yuta also serves as the in-house guidance councilor, particularly to the boys (girls are often too shy to talk to him cause he's quite handsome).

**Dr. Kim Hyuna**

The resident doctor of Polaris. She has been with the organization since it first branched out into Korea, but still looks as young as her first ID photo. She's popular among boys and girls alike for being the kind and quirky doctor (but she is reported to be scary if they don't follow her orders). Hyuna is married to Hyojong, the funky HR office head.

**Dr. Kim Hyojong**

To everyone's surprise, this guy has a Ph.D in humanities. He is the head of the Human Resources Department in Polaris, where new recruits are screened and trained. By day, he "works" at the office (although they don't get a lot of applicants so he doesn't do much) and by night, he's known as DJ E'dawn at Club Fresco. His wife is Dr. Hyuna and he claims they've been married for 46 years, but Hyuna wants to wait until their 50th wedding anniversary to have a child.

###  **JUNGSHIN HIGH SCHOOL**

**Oh Seunghee**

The young nurse working at Jungshin High School, where Seonghwa, Yeosang and Yeeun study. After the school was temporarily closed down due to an unfortunate event, she is recruited by Polaris. Gets along surprisingly well with Yubin despite their differences. Acts scandalized by Bora's surprise butt-grabs but secretly enjoys it.

**Jang Yeeun**

A student at Jungshin High School, she is Seonghwa's classmate and only friend aside from Yeosang. She accidentally finds out about Seonghwa's secret before Yeosang, but hid it from everyone because she doesn't want to break his trust. May have realized Yeosang has a crush on Seonghwa. Is wary of Hongjoong but won't hesitste to smack him if he makes Seonghwa sad.

**Jung Wooseok**

Seonghwa's classmate and friend in Jungshin High School. He, along with Yeeun, Yuto and Elkie, survived "the incident" during their first year. Due to "health reasons", he continues his studies under the home-schooling program. His Polaris agent is Ko Shinwon.

****

**Chong Ting-yan "Elkie"**

A Chinese student who went to Jungshin High School, and is Yeeun's best friend. Her family went to Korea 4 years ago and established a traditional Chinese pharmacy/tea shop. After "the incident", Elkie got a "special scholarship" in a different school, which is affiliated with Polaris "for her own safety". Elkie still talks to her "fellow survivors" and supplies them with the information that she learns.

**Adachi Yuto**

A Japanese boy who went to the same class as Seonghwa and Yeeun. He was good friends with Sakura, and her demise bought him great trauma. After "the incident", he, like Wooseok, continued his schooling at home. His Polaris handler is Nakamoto Yuta.

###  **PUPPYBUNNY SPECIALTIES SNACK BOX CO.**

**Kim Minji "JiU"**

The "bunny" and co-founder of PuppyBunny Specialties Snack Box Co., and also the owner of JiU Macaron Shop in Dongdaemun, Seoul. She is the wife of Kim Yoohyeon and mother of Yunho. "The Wolf" knows her well and they seem to be very good friends. She claims to be one of Seonghwa's godmothers and always gives him "special sweets" when she sees him.

**Kim Yoohyeon**

The "puppy" and co-founder of PuppyBunny Specialties Snack Box Co., and also a freelance landscaper; her office is located above JiU Macaron Shop, which is owned by her wife, Minji. She supposedly shared a brief fling with Yubin, if "the Wolf" is to be believed, but Minji "put a macaron in the oven" before Yubin and Yoohyeon's relationship can progress. Their child, Yunho, is frequently nicknamed "macaron" because of that.

**Kim Yunho**

Minji and Yoohyeon's son, he was born a year after Seonghwa, and his godmother is Han Dong, a Chinese billionaire. Although he is spoiled by his parents, Yunho isn't a brat, because Aunt Dongie used to babysit him and applies "proper discipline" whenever he acts bratty. He and Seonghwa are friendly with each other from all the times Minji and Yoohyeon took him to Polaris. He has a stalker from Crescent, but he doesn't realize it yet, even if Seonghwa told him.

###  **CRESCENT**

**"Ravn"**

Not much is known about him, only he is very influential and powerful among the creatures of the night, and leads Crescent, a group of vampires who are up to no good, according to Hongjoong. It's implied that he had something to do with the death of Seonghwa's parents. He seems to know who "the Wolf" is and is deathly afraid of her. However, he doesn't fear Bora as much, which annoys her.

**"Leedo"**

Ravn's second-in-command. Very loyal and devoted to Ravn to a fault. Won't hesitate to throw his life it it means protecting Ravn. Hongjoong calls him a desperate dog who wants attention from his master. Leedo doesn't care for anything other than Ravn, what Ravn wants and what Ravn needs. Is practically Ravn's willing slave. If only Ravn would notice him...

**"Keonhee"**

He works under Ravn and Leedo and is in charge of gathering new recruits. Keonhee takes an interest in Yunho after he sees him on Instagram (because vampires gotta have a social life too). Unlike Leedo, who is hostile to everyone except Ravn, Keonhee likes to fool around with Polaris and sometimes lets them go if he feels like it. Seonghwa isn't afraid of Keonhee - exposing him as Yunho's stalker to "scary-when-angry" Minji is good blackmail material.

###  **OTHERS**

**Han Dong**

She founded the Shu Gang Company in Wuhan and became the richest self-made female billionaire in China, with a net worth of US$9.8 billion. When she met Bora and "the Wolf" during a holiday in the Swiss Alps, she expanded JAZZBAR, the clothing line of her business empire to South Korea, which proved to be a marketing win for her. Han Dong is the godmother of Yunho, and she often makes him model for JAZZBAR (she pays him with clothes because "that's more expensive than the average model's salary!").

**Lee Gahyeon**

Han Dong's personal assistant. Her job description is to "manage Han Dong's appointments and remind her of her daily schedules" but Han Dong makes her go to Polaris to deliver cookies to Bora, get macarons from Minji's shop, drop off expensive gifts to Yunho and Seonghwa, and sometimes even asks her to look for "the Wolf". Poor Gahyeon can't catch a break.

**"Moonbyul"**

A mysterious white-haired night walker who simplifies her motives as "doing what is good". She's friendly with Ravn's group, but also helps out Polaris when they need her. She has a long history with Hongjoong but he loathes her, likewise, she enjoys tormenting him. Yubin calls her "Hongjoong's Dame", stating he can't resist her commands even if he tried. Aside from Bora and Yubin, she's the only one who can speak to "the Wolf" without shaking like a leaf.

**"The Wolf"**

An incredibly powerful and ancient vampire who bears an uncanny resemblance to Seonghwa. She knows what Ravn and his group are up to, but doesn't intervene unless they directly threaten her 'little flower'. Seonghwa feels a very strong connection to the Wolf, as if they are related in some way.


	2. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> start of something new

**8:24 a.m. | 02/07/14 | Suwon, Gyeonggi-do**

A middle-aged man leans against a white Hyundai Genesis, which is parked in front of a 6-story apartment building. The man is dressed in a dark blue blazer, a white dress shirt tucked into beige slacks and black leather shoes, giving the impression of an average married salaryman. He runs his hand along his neatly combed hair and sighs, looking at his watch.

"It's almost 8:30, the appointment is at 9, why are they taking so long?" he grumbles and pulls out his phone from his blazer's inner pocket when he hears a ping, indicating he has a message.

**From: Social Worker Yubin**

Good day Mr. Kang Sangyeob. I need to confirm for the final time that you and Mrs. Kim Ahyeon are coming to the appointment scheduled at 9:00 a.m. today.

Sangyeob looks at his watch again before replying.

**To: Social Worker Yubin**

Yes ma'am, we are currently on our way to pick Seonghwa up. Yeosang is coming along and he is very excited to meet his brother.

Sangyeob looks up from his phone when he hears the noise of high heeled pumps hitting the concrete. A slender woman with long wavy black hair, wearing a floral patterned long-sleeved maxi dress walks up to him, carrying a pink handbag on one hand and scrolling through her phone on the other.

"Ahyeonie, where's Yeosang?" Sangyeob asked, and Ahyeon looked over her shoulder.

Behind her, a young man with dyed brown hair, wearing a black turtleneck, beige cargo pants and a bomber jacket follows, fiddling with his phone. A black backpack is slung over his shoulder with a skateboard attached to it.

Sangyeob sighs as he examines his son's outfit. "Yeo, do you really need to bring that thing?" he asks, glancing at the skateboard.

Yeosang looks up from his phone. "I need to make sure we pass each other's vibe check if we're going to be brothers." he replies almost monotonously.

Ahyeon lets out a sigh this time. "He's just moody because he wanted a younger brother." she says, walking over to the car's passenger seat. "Anyway, we should get going. We don't wanna be late for our appointment."

Sangyeob nods, gesturing at Yeosang to get in the back seat. Yeosang grumbles but shuffles inside. Sangyeob starts the car as soon as they strapped themselves in and drives towards Seoul. It'll take half an hour if they're lucky.

Yeosang looks out of the car's window as they head to pick up his new brother. When his parents announced that they were planning to adopt, he was against the thought of a crying, screaming baby in the house while he was playing games or studying. But then his father told him they were getting a teenager from Polaris Social Services.

It's a private organization that takes care of orphaned teenagers, or those who were having a difficult time in the state's foster care system. They also pick up homeless teens and runaways, either reuniting them with their families or placing them in adoptive homes. Yeosang did an intensive research on Polaris to make sure they're a legitimate organization, as he hasn't heard of them before. He finds out they were established by an Orthodox priest in 1948, in Volgograd, Russia. They took in war orphans from all over the Soviet Union, eventually branching out to Japan in 1957 and Korea in 1978. The Korean branch is in Pil-dong, Jung-gu in Seoul.

Yeosang couldn't deny his parents' wish for another child, especially after they had recently lost their unborn son two years ago — his younger brother Minsang. He wasn't as distraught over it as his parents, mainly because he felt the age gap was too big for him to bond with his sibling.

He's actually glad he's getting an adoptive brother who's around his age. And he's also glad he's getting a brother, not a sister because he doesn't know how teenage girls work, and for now, he doesn't want to be bothered trying to understand women.

While he's not super thrilled that Seonghwa is older than him, he can live with it. Perhaps he can convince Seonghwa to drop the honorifics, or if Seonghwa is okay with it, he can call Yeosang hyung instead, since he is the 'first son' in a way.

But it also makes him worry. Unlike a baby or a child who has yet to develop their personality, Seonghwa probably already has his own, and Yeosang worries they might clash. Based on what his parents told him, Seonghwa is shy and soft-spoken, but so are most people when they first meet others for the first time. Moreover, he was in the foster care system for 5 years, has lived with and rejected by 4 different families because of his illness, and grew in a different country, so that just adds to his anxiety.

~

**8:47 a.m. | Polaris Building, Pil-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul**

A black Kia Niro slots into the parking lot at the back of a 3-story cube-shaped building. A short-haired, lightly tan-skinned woman in a pinstriped grey suit comes out of the driver's seat. Her hair is dyed light brown, with darker streaks on the lower strands to give the impression of thicker hair. Her suit, coupled with light eye makeup and brick red lipstick, gives the impression of a cool businesswoman.

She pulls out her phone from a black designer handbag to read a message.

**From: Mr. Kang Sangyeob (Adoptive Parent)**

Good day, Ms. Yubin! We ran into some traffic, but don't worry, we'll be arriving soon. Please expect us around 9:15 to 9:20. Is Seonghwa there already? Tell him we bought him some food.

Yubin puts her phone back in her purse without replying and walks over to the passenger's side. She opens the door and a young man with light blonde hair steps out. He's wearing a surgical mask that obscures half his face, a red turtleneck under a black leather jacket and black denim jeans. A small black backpack with metal studs sits low on his back, with a pink pom-pom keychain hanging from the front pocket's zipper puller.

As if his blonde hair isn't striking enough, the boy has piercing blue eyes and pale, almost white skin. His pallor looks rather unhealthy, though. Combined with his dark clothing, the boy is a sight to behold.

"Your new family will be a bit late. They bought food for you but didn't indicate what type. Don't worry about being poisoned, I'll make them eat it first before they feed it to you." Yubin said.

The boy sighs. "You don't have to be so harsh to all of my prospective parents. Maybe that's why I never get adopted..." he grumbles.

Yubin reaches up to ruffle his fluffy hair. "I have to be strict. I need to make sure you end up in a good family. If they don't meet our harsh standards, they don't deserve you." she explains.

"Yeah, but I'm almost 16. I'm going to be an adult soon." the boy whines, making Yubin smile sadly.

"You're not legally an adult until you're 20. And even if no one adopts you, you can just stay with us. We'll continue to provide for you for as long as you need us." she says, moving her hand to his face. She squishes his cheeks and he lets out a louder whine.

Yubin pets his cheek before retracting her hand. "Come on, let's get cozy at the waiting room while we wait for your parents to arrive." she says, taking his hand and leading him into the building's back entrance. A security guard gives them a precautionary check before letting them inside.

The boy follows her wordlessly. He removes his sunglasses as soon as they enter the building. Icy blue eyes sharply scan the surrounding area, despite being familiar with it, he can't be too cautious. Yubin brings him to the designated waiting room, and he goes to his usual spot, a bright red chesterfield armchair on the farthest corner from the door, next to a small wooden coffee table.

The boy kicks his shoes off and tucks his legs under him. He rummages through his backpack and pulls out a pink blanket, a checkered neck pillow and a pink Nintendo 3DS. After draping the blanket over his legs and putting the neck pillow on, he places his bag on top of the magazines on the coffee table. He pulls the blanket higher, making a pink cocoon around himself.

"Really Seonghwa?" Yubin asks, leaning against the doorframe with a deadpan look on her face.

Seonghwa pulls his mask down, pouting. "You said they'll be late so we should get cozy." he replies. The blonde begins playing a game at his Nintendo 3DS.

Yubin sighs, taking a seat on the matching couch, putting her handbag down next to her. She pulls out her phone when she received another message.

**From: Mr. Kang Sangyeob (Adoptive Parent)**

May we know if Seonghwa is allergic to anything? Food allergies were not stated in his profile. Yeosang wants to buy him a chicken sandwich with sesame sauce.

Yubin chuckles a little before glancing at Seonghwa, who now looks like a big baby wrapped up in a pink blanket. "Your prospective parent is asking if you're allergic to anything. Apparently, it wasn't stated in your profile."

Seonghwa rolls his eyes at that. "It was clearly stated on my profile that I have caffeine intolerance. Did they even read my profile or did they just look at my handsome face and went 'yep, that's our new son'?"

Yubin can't help but chuckle at his reaction. "I'll notify them that you can't have anything with caffeine in it or you'll have an upset stomach. If they already bought you coffee or tea, we can just give it to the guard." she says, typing away at her phone.

Seonghwa hums in acknowledgement and continues playing his game. So far, his new family doesn't seem to be an upgrade from the previous one. The blonde can see Yubin looking at him.

"I gave you their profiles. I hope you read them." Yubin reminds him, sitting back against the couch and relaxing her shoulders. "You're gonna have a younger brother, but based on his answers to our questions, it seems he wants to be the older brother."

Seonghwa pauses his game. "I know, I read about him. Kang Yeosang, right? From what I've read, it seems he and I will get along well. I'll let him drop the honorifics, but it's gonna take a lot of convincing for me to call him hyung."

Yubin raises an eyebrow at him. "But if he convinces you, you'll agree to call him hyung?" she asked with an amused smirk.

Seonghwa blushes and ducks behind his console. "I-I might... he's technically the 'first son'... and I want to get along with him... if that's the only way for him to like me..."

Yubin chuckles and glances at the time on her phone screen. "Yeah, they're late. I would write them off just for this, but since you seem to like the Kang parents, I'll let it slide for now. Next time they pick you up late, I'm going to have a word about punctuality with them."

Seonghwa just sighs, sinking further into his fluffy pink cocoon. "If they bring me back here because you're so strict, it's all your fault." he grumbles.

~

**9:01 a.m. | Vinny's Grilled Chicken, Seocho-gu, Seoul**

"It clearly states here that he has caffeine intolerance. Coke has caffeine. Sprite has caffeine. Heck, iced tea has caffeine! The only drink we can get him without upsetting his stomach is either pineapple juice or orange juice." Ahyeon argues with Sangyeob, who insists on getting iced tea for Seonghwa.

"It's iced tea, it's not really tea, there's barely any caffeine in that stuff." Sangyeob reasons. "Besides, it's 'intolerance', not allergy. He's not going into anaphylactic shock from drinking a glass of iced tea."

"Ms. Yubin reminded us that he gets an upset stomach if he ingests anything with caffeine." Ahyeon reminds him.

"Okay but they charge an extra ₩1,500 won for fruit juice because we pay for the can." Sangyeob reasons.

Ahyeon glares at him. "If we can't shell out ₩1,500 for a can of juice, how can we pay his estimated ₩14,400,000 yearly medical bills?!"

Sangyeob gulps. "R-Relax, darling, we can afford that."

Ahyeon huffs and turns to the young lady at the cashier. "We'll have orange juice with the to-go grilled sesame chicken sandwich." she says with a sweet smile.

The cashier girl just smiles back awkwardly before punching the order. She hands them a number and tells them to wait for a few minutes. Ahyeon and Sangyeob head over to where Yeosang was peacefully enjoying his own chicken sandwich, pretending not to notice his parents arguing about which drink to get his new brother.

"Well? Did you decide between pineapple and orange?" he asks, raising a brow as his parents take a seat opposite him.

"Yes, we went with orange." Ahyeon replies. "Ms. Yubin kindly reminded us that Seonghwa has caffeine intolerance. Your father here insisted iced tea doesn't contain much caffeine, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I don't want our new son to get a stomach ache on his first day with us."

Sangyeob checks his phone again and curses. "We're already late for the appointment. Ms. Yubin said Seonghwa was really excited too. He even bought his Nintendo 3DS so he can play with Yeo."

Yeosang perked up at that. "He plays games too? And he has a 3DS? I don't have that."

"Yeah, it was a gift to him from Ms. Yubin's superior, Ms. Bora. She felt really sorry for Seonghwa since he's been on the foster system for 5 years and all of his prospective parents back out when they compute the costs of his yearly medical bills."

Yeosang winces internally, remembering that his new brother is ill and needs constant medical attention. His family isn't particularly rich but they get by. He doesn't know how they're going to take care of Seonghwa's medical needs. But if his parents are sure they can provide for him, he's not going to question them.

Besides, he's seen pictures, and Seonghwa is _really_ pretty.

~

**9:17 a.m. | Polaris Social Services Building**

Yubin receives a message from Mr. Kang that they're almost there, so she has to get Seonghwa to the meeting room. But the blonde doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving, too immersed in his game to be bothered.

It looks like it will take some time before she can get him to the meeting room.

~

**9:23 a.m. | Outside Polaris Social Services Building**

Yeosang and his parents make their way to the cube-shaped building after parking their car at a convenience across the street, because the parking lot at the front was already filled up. They told the guard they'll be quick, they're just going to pick someone up from Polaris, so he allowed them. Yeosang makes a mental note to buy something from the convenience store later. Maybe something for Seonghwa.

Sangyeob and Ahyeon have been here before when they first met Seonghwa, but this is Yeosang's first time, and he's already impressed. A grandiose main lobby welcomes them into Polaris' building. With its high ceiling, white marble floors, black tiled walls, and crystal raindrop chandeliers, the place looks more like a hotel than an agency that handles teen adoptions.

The front desk is situated at the center of the farthest wall, its sole clerk typing away at what looks like an Apple computer. On the left side, there are two elevators, one labeled for 'employee use' and the other for 'guest use'. On the right side is a waiting area, which has a long black velvet sofa, a deep red-coloured armchair and a coffee table with a dark glass top and chrome legs. Books and magazines are neatly tucked at the space underneath. Next to that are restrooms, both with white doors and metallic red signs. The entire lobby has a black, white and red colour scheme, giving it a very modern chic aesthetic.

They approach the front desk, now he's closer, Yeosang can see that it's made of some fancy dark marble. A kind-faced girl with short black hair welcomes them. She's wearing a white button-up shirt under a black blazer, and a red scarf in place of a necktie. A nametag pinned to her right breast pocket is has "Seola" written in both English and Korean. Yeosang remembers hearing his parents say that many foreigners have adopted Korean teens from Polaris.

"Good morning, Mr. Kang and Mrs. Kim." Seola greets them. "Ms. Yubin and Seonghwa are waiting for you in Meeting Room #5 at the third floor, Room 311." she says, handing them a key card.

Sangyeob thanks her and leads Ahyeon and Yeosang to the elevator. Yeosang's skateboard clangs against the metal interior and Ahyeon shoots him a warning glare. With a huff, he takes his backpack off to tighten the strings securing his skateboard.

A second later, the elevator stops at the third floor and they exit. Yeosang sling his backpack over his shoulder again, this time his skateboard hits the door as it automatically closes. Ahyeon is heard sighing while Sangyeob takes her hand and leads her to the meeting room.

Yeosang follows them, lagging behind to admire the fancy building's aesthetic. The third floor's hallway is brightly lit with recessed lights, this time it swaps the first floor's palette, with dark floors and white walls. Giving it a few taps with his feet, Yeosang notes that the floor is made of wood. This floor seems to consist mainly of meeting rooms, the doors are painted an off-white, almost beige colour, with a glass window so he can take a peek inside. The room numbers and labels are written in metallic red plaques above the doors. All of them seem to be opened by keycards, though they do have a manual lock, which is probably useful if the card reader malfunctions.

When they reach the meeting room, Sangyeob slides the keycard in and they enter. Apparently, "meeting rooms" in Polaris more closely resemble a modern living room than a typical business meeting room. The walls are white, so is the ceiling, and the floor has a dark grey carpet. There are pinlights on the four corners of the room and a Nordic Art Deco chandelier lights up the room. There are two sofas facing opposite each other, both appear to be shorter versions of the one downstairs. A clear glass coffee table sits in the middle, books and magazines placed on top of it. A water dispenser is tucked in the corner of the room, near an electrical socket.

"Oh, if only our living room was this organized..." Ahyeon comments, taking a seat on the left-facing sofa.

Yeosang joins her and carefully places his bag on the floor. The sofa is as soft as he imagined, for a moment he felt like a rich kid. If Polaris can afford such luxury for their building, he wonders if they also provide housing for the teenagers under their care.

Sangyeob frowns and checks his phone to see if Ms. Yubin messaged him. "The clerk said they're here. Maybe we got the wrong room?" he goes out of the room to recheck the number, then goes back in again when he confirms he got the right room.

"Perhaps they went to the restroom?" Ahyeon asked.

"Maybe, but both of them? At the same time?" Sangyeob asked back. "What if he suddenly changed his mind? What if Seonghwa realized we're not good enough to be his parents? What if another couple came here and he liked them better?" he rambles on, the stress clearly evident on his face.

Ahyeon stands up and gives her husband a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "You know that's not possible. Once a child has been matched to prospective parents, they won't allow other couples to talk to them. Ms. Yubin said that Seonghwa seemed the most comfortable around us, right?"

Sangyeob only faces Ahyeon and pulls her into a hug.

Yeosang only watches them from his peripheral vision. Ever since Minsang's loss, his father has been suffering from anxiety, and Yeosang partly blames himself. He's been distant from his parents after the incident, not because he's upset with them but because he doesn't know how to explain his feelings. He's sad but not grieving, and sickeningly, he feels relieved he won't have to deal with a noisy infant.

Before Sangyeob can have a breakdown, Yubin enters the room but Seonghwa doesn't enter. She closes the door behind her, causing Sangyeob and Ahyeon to panic.

"I heard your insecurities, Mr. Sangyeob. Please calm down for a moment before Seonghwa comes in. I don't want him to be stressed." Yubin explains, her deep voice surprising Yeosang.

Ahyeon ushers Sangyeob to the couch, holding his hand while he takes calming breaths. Yeosang shifts uncomfortably when Yubin's eyes fall on him.

Her gaze is piercing, for a second he thinks her eyes flashed red, but he must be imagining it. Yubin has a somewhat intimidating face, but Yeosang is determined to make a good impression.

"You must be Yeosang, correct?" Yubin asked.

"Yes, that's me." Yeosang replies, voice slightly scratchy for some reason.

"Seonghwa says you two might get along based on your answers to our questions." Yubin said, her eyes trailing to the Kang parents. "Now, if you're ready, I'll call Seonghwa to come inside."

"Please, we're ready." Ahyeon said, her tone almost pleading.

Yubin doesn't seem impressed, but she calls Seonghwa anyway. The door opens and the most beautiful boy Yeosang has ever seen enters. No photo can do him justice.

Seonghwa looks like he was sculpted by the gods in their image. His features are possibly exotic by Korean beauty standards, but he is undoubtedly gorgeous. He has pale skin, a V-shaped jawline, double eyelids, a slim nose with a high nose bridge, and full lips. Basically, everything Yeosang is, but Seonghwa had undeniably sharper features.

What is really striking about Seonghwa is his natural blonde hair and blue eyes. Yeosang would have mistaken it for hair dye and contact lenses if he didn't read his adoptive brother's profile well. Seonghwa has some foreign blood in him, and it just so happens he inherited the hair and eye color from that side.

Then, Seonghwa's eyes lock with Yeosang's, and he suddenly feels as if he's sinking into an icy pool in the middle of Siberia. He can practically feel the freezing cold bite into his flesh. Seonghwa's gaze is so hypnotic, Yeosang is being sucked deeper into the pool. In a distant part of his mind, he can hear a loud squall before his ears get blocked by water. The cold consumes him, constricting his blood vessels, making him stiffen. He takes a deep breath and shivers when he smells something akin to roses. Seonghwa offers him a small smile, the edges of his full lips curling upwards. He shows a bit of teeth, and Yeosang swears his incisors are unusually sharp. Seonghwa is ethereal, he looks like an otherworldly creature next to someone as mundane as Yeosang. He doesn't feel worthy to be in his presence.

"Yeosang?" Ahyeon calls out, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Yeosang's face heats up all the way to his ears when he realizes he just popped a boner while looking at Seonghwa.

The blonde boy has an amused smirk on his pretty face as he sits down next to Yubin.

Yeosang picks his bag up and uses it to shield his erection while lowering his head in shame.

"We're sorry about that, Seonghwa-yah." Ahyeon quickly says, reaching behind Yeosang to pinch him on the waist. "It seems your brother was so enamored by your beauty that he just stared at you like that."

Seonghwa laughs lightly and it's the most precious sound Yeosang has ever heard. He sucks in a deep breath when Seonghwa's eyes flicker to him.

"This is the first time Yeosang has met Seonghwa, so I'm not surprised he's intrigued. Not a lot of ethnic Koreans are born with blonde hair and blue eyes." Yubin explains.

Sangyeob nods at that. "Have you eaten, Seonghwa-yah? We bought you something from Vinny's. This is Yeosang's favorite chicken sandwich." he said, handing the paper bag to the blonde boy.

"Thank you, father. I ate a light breakfast already at the dormitory, but I'll gladly accept this." Seonghwa said.

Yeosang bites on his lower lip, stifling the urge to jump his brother. Seonghwa's deep voice is as smooth and rich as honey. He's so sinfully attractive, Yeosang might bat for the other team now.

"Do you skate?" Seonghwa asked, addressing Yeosang directly.

Yeosang forces himself to look at his brother's eyes and regrets it instantly. He feels Seonghwa's icy gaze pulling him back into the deep pool, so he forces a smile as he replies.

"Yes, I skate. You can ride me if you want."

At that moment, Yeosang wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Sangyeob and Ahyeon look positively scandalized.

Seonghwa's cheeks turn pink. "I-I think you mean I can ride _with_ you if I want? Um... okay..."

Yubin clears her throat. "Seonghwa has never ridden a skateboard before. It would be a nice experience for him to have an adventurous brother like you." she says, hoping to break the tension.

"O...kay." Sangyeob begins, his eyes shifting between Yeosang and Seonghwa. Ahyeon is torn between smiling awkwardly and scolding Yeosang.

If Yeosang can disappear into thin air, he would have done it. Seonghwa is fidgeting in the seat next to Yubin.

Fortunately, Yubin is there to salvage the sudden awkward situation. "It seems Yeosang wants to get to know Seonghwa better. Why don't we leave the brothers for a while? We can talk about the probation period in the next room while the boys spend some time together." she suggests, standing up.

Sangyeob and Ahyeon look unsure, but they follow her out of the room. Now, Yeosang is alone with Seonghwa.

The blonde boy lowers his gaze when Yeosang looks at him and he feels a pang of guilt. Perhaps he messed up before they even started.

"Seonghwa hyung..." Yeosang tried. He used honorifics just because he feels too awkward at the moment.

The blonde looks at him with a timid expression on his face. "I'm sorry... did I make it awkward?" Seonghwa asked shyly.

Yeosang shook his head almost violently. "No Seonghwa hyung, I'm sorry. I was joking, I didn't realize you would get so flustered." he replies, hoping to set them on the right track.

Seonghwa smiles a little. "Oh, I knew you were joking. I just didn't expect it, that's all. Your profile said you're not the joking type." he explained.

Yeosang let out a sigh of relief. "I'm actually trying to be more proactive in the way I talk. I'm about to start high school next year so I want to get rid of my shyness."

"Ah, we're both shy." Seonghwa said, reaching into the paper bag. "Do you mind if I eat? I don't want it to get cold."

"Not at all!" Yeosang answers. "I love that sandwich. It's chicken. I love chicken. I hope you like chicken too."

Seonghwa chuckles and peels the foil from the sandwich to eat it. Yeosang can't help but watch him like a hawk. Seonghwa's incisors look very strange, they're rather long, longer than any he's ever seen. It's as if he's a vampire. But maybe it's because he has foreign blood.

The blonde notices him staring while he sips on his juice. "Wow, you really like to stare, don't you?"

Yeosang gulps. "Well... I just haven't seen anyone like you before." he says, and instantly regrets it. That might have been offensive, but Seonghwa seems okay with it.

"Oh, I get that a lot. People ask me if I dye my hair or wear contact lenses. I don't, I was born like this. It's because of my heritage, I'm part Uzbek on my mother's side and part Russian on my father's side. I got my hair from my dad and my eyes from my mom." Seonghwa explains.

"I knew you were part foreign, but it wasn't indicated how foreign you are." Yeosang said. "I want to know more about you, how did you come here, what was your life like before... everything... If you're willing to talk to me about it..." he trails off, hoping he hasn't bought any bad memories for his brother.

Seonghwa hums. "Guess your parents didn't really tell you much about me aside from what my profile said, huh?" he asked. Yeosang shook his head.

"It's fine. My story's complicated anyway. I like talking about it." Seonghwa assures him when he sees hesitation on Yeosang's face.

"My father is a Koryo-saram, an ethnic Korean who lives in Central Asia. His father was taken to the Soviet Union in the 1930s as a forced laborer but was deported to Uzbekistan later on. He was born and raised amongst other Koryo-saram."

Yeosang nods, somewhat familiar with the term. "I've read about it in an article once. There are some Koreans living in Central Asia. They're distinct from the Sakhalin Koreans, though."

Seonghwa nods. "Yeah, they're different. I don't know if I'm considered a Koryo-saram, because my mother technically came from Korea. She's the daughter of a Koryo-saram and is half-Uzbek, but her family moved to Korea after the Korean War. She became a photographer for a lifestyle magazine and they were doing a cover story on Koryo-saram. That's how she met my dad. The rest is history."

"That's quite the story." Yeosang said, smiling for the first time.

"Yeah, it was. I spent 12 happy years with my parents. Though I was born in Tashkent, we frequently went to Korea to visit my mother's family. One of my fondest memories was when we went to Universal Studios in Florida when I was 10. I went on all the rides they'd allow me in. We spent 3 days there and we would have stayed more if I didn't get sick. I wish I wasn't sick so I could have more fun..."

A hint of sadness crosses Seonghwa's face. He misses his parents. "The last time I was with them... we went on a vacation in Switzerland when I was 12. We went with a family friend who had a son around my age. While my parents and my friend's father rode the cable car to get to the top of the ski resort, I stayed with my friend and his mother at the lodge. It was around... 6 p.m., I think, when the Alpine rescuers told us that... a terrible accident happened and... 12 people died, 7 were critically injured and 14 were missing... I waited 6 days for the rescuers to tell me that they rescued my parents... but when they came back to the hotel room... they said sorry and..."

Yeosang sucked in a breath. He had heard that Seonghwa's parents died in a freak accident, but his parents didn't tell him why. Hearing it from the source is more heartbreaking than he imagined. The raw pain in Seonghwa's voice, his misty eyes, and broken smile... it was too much.

Pushing his bag aside, Yeosang went around the table separating them, sat beside the blonde, and pulled him into a hug.

Seonghwa allowed Yeosang to hold him. He laid his head on the younger boy's shoulder and Yeosang put his hand on the back of the blonde's head, stroking his fluffy hair.

"You can cry." Yeosang whispered. "If you're sad, cry. Don't mind the fact that we just met. I'm your brother now, Seonghwa. You can cry on me anytime."

Seonghwa let a teardrop and buried his face in Yeosang's neck. He didn't outright sob, but Yeosang can feel the older boy's tears soaking his shirt. He hates how their first bonding moment involved tears, but it was better to get this out of the way.

The two boys stayed in each other's arms for approximately five minutes before Seonghwa reluctantly pulled away. Yeosang got brave and reached out to wipe a tear from his cheek. The older boy didn't seem to mind, in fact, it looks like he enjoyed the gesture.

"Are you okay now?" Yeosang asked.

Seonghwa nodded. "Thank you. I didn't mean to dump all of that on you on our first meeting. I feel so selfish, I didn't even let you tell me your story first."

Yeosang smiles sheepishly at him. "My story isn't as interesting as yours. I'm basically a skater boy who wants to be a rockstar, but I realized I have a better shot at becoming a pro gamer, so I'm now a gamer who skates."

Seonghwa laughs and Yeosang feels butterflies in his stomach. Everything about this boy hits him differently. Suddenly, the blonde pouts and it's the cutest thing Yeosang has ever seen.

"I want to do stuff like skateboarding, but my illness always gets in the way. I get tired too quickly and I sometimes faint." Seonghwa sulks.

"Cheer up. I'll teach you how to skate. I promise I won't let you faint." Yeosang said, earning a coy smirk from the blonde.

"Oh, I hope I'm riding a skateboard and not a different kind of wood." Seonghwa said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Yeosang freezes when he realizes he still has a boner. A boner, which is poking Seonghwa's thigh at the moment. He's too embarrassed to move. "This... p-please excuse this... I have... issues..." he stammers while blushing furiously, making Seonghwa laugh.

"It's okay, I don't mind. You won't be the first guy who got hard for me." Seonghwa said so casually Yeosang choked on his spit.

"WHAT?!" Yeosang blurts, surprised by the sudden turn of events.

"What?" Seonghwa asked, raising his eyebrow. "Don't tell me guys don't hit on you. You're just as hot as me, maybe less hot, but still hot."

Yeosang thinks his brain has malfunctioned, every word coming out of Seonghwa's mouth is now heading straight to his other head. How can he see this boy as his brother when he wants nothing more than to—

"Yeosang? Seonghwa?" Yubin calls as she and the Kang parents enter the room. The boys didn't even hear them knock.

"Oh, my poor baby! Did Yeosang make you cry?" Ahyeon exclaims, rushing to the blonde boy. Yeosang scooted out of the way to let his mother fuss over Seonghwa.

"Um, we talked about my story. So I got a little emotional. But Yeosang is a good brother, he comforted me." Seonghwa says, whining a little when Ahyeon squishes his cheeks.

Yeosang looks back to see his father talking with Yubin again. They're speaking in low voices, but he can pick out stuff like "You're adopting Seonghwa knowing his condition. If anything happens to him, or to you, we won't be liable." and "Of course, we've read the fine print. Rest assured, Seonghwa will be safe with us."

He doesn't want to think too much about it. Probably just about Seonghwa's illness. Which he now remembers is a severe form of anemia. Seonghwa looks exceptionally gorgeous for someone so ill they need regular transfusions.

"Anyway, we've finalized the adoption papers with Ms. Kim Bora. Seonghwa is ready to come home with us on the 10th." Sangyeob says, puzzling Yeosang.

"On the 10th? I thought we were picking him up today?" he turns to Seonghwa, who just shrugs.

"A few days ago he was really weak and pale and when they ran a rest on him, the doctor decided he needs a blood transfusion again." Yubin replies. "He's scheduled to have one tomorrow. We want to make sure he's as healthy as he can be before we let go of him."

Yeosang gives him a pointed look, and Seonghwa smiles cheekily, showing his sharp incisors that have been intriguing him since he saw them.

"Oh, but I feel better today. We can go to the mall or something. I want to spend time with Yeosangie." Seonghwa said.

The nickname made Yeosang smile. "Yeah, I'd like to spend the day getting to know Hwa too." he said.

Seonghwa seems okay with the lack of honorific.

"Great!" Ahyeon exclaims. "We can to Lotte World. You two will have so much fun!"

Yeosang cringes. He _hates_ Lotte World, but it's a safe choice. From the corner of his eye, he can also see Seonghwa cringe.

That's one vibe check done. No Lotte World dates, ever.

After fixing themselves (and waiting for Yeosang's problem to go down), the family leaves for Lotte World.

At the backseat, Yeosang and Seonghwa talk about the games they play, Yeosang's skating, Seonghwa's love for cooking, everything they can without triggering another response from Yeosang's erectile tissues.

He aborted that mission when he realizes Seonghwa likes to stick his tongue out and bite his lips. Yeosang made a mental note to wear loose pants whenever he's with Seonghwa.

It seems they will get along _really_ well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, they will


	3. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> seonghwa moves into the kang family house and yeosang is very happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> may contain scenes that are disturbing to some readers  
> discretion is advised

**In the Dreamworld**

_He's here again, in this place, this desolate landscape, void of all life except him. His light shirt offers no protection against the icy cold wind slicing into his skin. The sky is pitch black, with only a sprinkling of stars scattered around its vast expanse. The pristine white sand beneath his bare feet is smooth and fine, perhaps the only forgiving thing in this land. A gigantic glowing tree looms in the distance, orbs of light dangling from its branches, which otherwise have no leaves. No matter how much distance he covers, how fast he runs, he is never a step closer to the tree._

_Seonghwa is at his wit's end. He has been trapped in this place for as long as he can remember dreaming. The same bleak white desert, the same unreachable tree, the same pain, and suffering of being unable to escape his fate._

_Was he fated to traverse this desert alone, for the rest of his life? Was he meant to spend eternity chasing what he cannot have? Why is he here? What is this place? Who bought him here? Has he been here all this time?_

_A squall roars past him and a violent shudder brings Seonghwa to his knees. He wraps his thin arms around himself, attempting to warm his freezing body._

_It's so cold._

_Seonghwa can feel it. The cold is claiming him. He looks forward, towards the tree. The orbs emit soft amber light._

_It looks warm over there._

_Seonghwa wants to feel warm, even just for a while. He attempts to get back on his feet, but his limbs are stiff from the cold. He breaks his fall by putting his arms in front of him, but they're too weak to support him._

_Face-down in the sand, body freezing from the exposure, exhausted from running across miles and miles of desert, Seonghwa curls into a ball and weeps._

_"Why?" he sobs as his tears turn to ice on his cheeks._

_It's so cold, Seonghwa doesn't know how long he can keep himself awake. His body is slowing down, focusing what little energy he has left into preserving body heat. His eyes are heavy, but he wills them open. If he closes them, he might never open them again. But maybe for a moment..._

_"Little flower."_

_Seonghwa's breath hitches and his eyes snap open. That voice again. The same voice that saves him from succumbing to the cold that's trying to consume him._

_"My little flower." the woman whispers, her voice like a haunting melody ringing in his ears. "Why are you crying, little flower?" she asked._

_Seonghwa forces his body to turn to his other side. There she is, standing a few paces away from him, like always. She walks towards him and kneels down._

_The woman is tall, dressed in a black suit, with a black cape that reaches her knees. She has waist-length blonde hair, pale blue eyes, a pointed nose, high cheekbones, full dark red lips, and a sharp jawline. She's almost a mirror image of him, if not for the ever-present wolfish grin on her face._

_"What does my little flower need?" the woman asks, pulling him up into a sitting position. But Seonghwa is too weak and he collapses against her._

_The woman holds him close, letting him bury his face into the crook of her neck. He inhales her familiar scent. She always smells of spicy white sandalwood, cool icy sage, and warm, sweet amber._

_It smells like home._

_"Are you tired, little flower? Would you like to lay down for a bit?" the woman asked. Seonghwa nodded, his hair brushing against her cheek._

_The woman gently lays his head on her lap and drapes her cape over him. No matter how many times they've done this, he never fails to be mesmerized by the intricate gold thread embroidery on her cape. It appears to have some magical properties too because Seonghwa instantly feels warm._

_"Is my little flower sleepy?" the woman asked._

_"Yes. Can I sleep here?" Seonghwa looks up at her with glistening eyes. The woman smiles down and cups his cheek with her warm hand._

_"It's okay, little flower. You can sleep. I'll watch over you." she said, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone. Seonghwa closes his eyes without hesitation. She then moves her hand to his head to pet his hair._

_The woman hums a familiar lullaby while softly carding her fingers through his hair. She puts her other hand on his cheek to wipe away the remains of his tears. She holds him with so much care as if a touch too harsh would break him._

_Seonghwa sighs in contentment and turns on his side, pushing his face into her belly to seek more contact. The woman chuckles and lightly scratches his scalp in turn. Her other hand moves to his shoulder, squeezing very gently before running down his back._

_"Are you comfy, my little flower?" she asked._

_"Yes. Can I stay here forever?" Seonghwa asked, basking in her warmth._

_"Not yet. Soon, you will join me and my beloved bellflower. But for now, you have to open your eyes, my little flower." the woman said._

And Seonghwa opened his eyes.

~

**7:33 a.m. | 2/10/14 | Polaris Dormitory, Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul**

Seonghwa sits up groggily, rubbing a hand over his face. He's had the same dream for as long as he can remember. It's always the blonde woman, the glowing tree, and the white sand desert.

Suddenly remembering that he's supposed to move in with the Kangs today, he glances at the digital alarm clock on his bedside drawer to check the time. He's scheduled to leave the dorm at 8 and curses when he realizes he forgot to turn his alarm clock on. The blonde was about to get out of bed to take a shower when he heard someone opening his door.

The keycard beeps in recognition and a moment later, a short woman with strawberry blonde hair, pale skin, and sky blue eyes enters his room. She's wearing a black shirt under a dark red pinstriped suit, high-waisted pants, and black ankle boots.

Seonghwa looks slightly like her too, strangely enough. It must be their sharp, V-shaped jaw and full lips. Their noses also kind of look similar. They even have the same smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Bora." Seonghwa greets, standing up and respectfully bowing at her.

Bora smiles at him. "Good morning to you too, sweet pea. I was about to ask you if you're ready to head out, but it seems you just woke up." she said.

Seonghwa looked away sheepishly. "I had a good dream." he said shyly.

"Oh? Do you want to talk to me about it, sweet pea?" Bora asked, going over to his bed. She sits down and pats the space next to her. Seonghwa also sits.

"Well... it's the same dream again. It's the same woman... I was about to fall into the cold, but she uses the magic cape to keep me warm again. I laid on her lap for a while. She... she told me that soon, I'll join her. I don't know what she means, but I trust her." Seonghwa explains.

Bora nods in understanding. She reaches up to pat his cheek, and Seonghwa nuzzles into her hand. Bora's touch always gives him comfort in ways he can't explain.

"What do you think she means by 'joining her'? Do you think... I'm..." Seonghwa trails off and Bora pinches his cheek lightly.

"You're _not_ dying, silly. It's not like you're talking to a dead person." Bora says, giggling.

"How did you know she's not dead?" Seonghwa asked with a pout. "Do you know who I'm talking about? The blonde woman with the wolfish grin?"

Bora laughs lightly. "Of course I know who she is. But I can't tell you yet, sweet pea. You'll have to find that out for yourself." she replies.

Seonghwa pouts more, giving her an accusing look. "Why do I keep dreaming of her? Who is she really?"

"She's someone who's constantly watching over you from afar to protect you. That woman, whom we'll call 'the Wolf', will only appear when the time is right." Bora answer, bringing her hand higher to ruffle his hair.

Seonghwa lets out a sigh. "I had a feeling you knew who I was talking about. But if she's protecting me from afar, I guess I should wait for the right time..."

"What a good child you are, sweet pea. Patience is a virtue. The Wolf will reveal herself to you when she deems it right." Bora said with a motherly look on her face.

Being called a 'good child' by her made Seonghwa feel warm and fuzzy inside. It's as if he was being praised by his _own_ mother.

_Oh, my sweet little flower._

"Well then, you should get ready. The Kang family is excited to meet you." Bora said, ruffling his hair for the last time. "I'll be at the lounge waiting for you. Make sure you eat breakfast before taking a bath."

"I will... mom." Seonghwa says. Being called 'mom' always made her smile, but it's especially noticeable when it's him who does it.

Her eyes soften and her lips curl into a gentle smile. Bora looks at Seonghwa like she was looking at her own flesh and blood.

_Oh little flower, if only you knew..._

~

**7:45 a.m. | 2/10/14 | Kang Family House, Jeongja-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon**

Yubin arrived half an hour ago to facilitate the movers who were bringing Seonghwa's belongings to the Kang family house in Suwon. She informed the family that her superior, Ms. Bora, will be the one to drive Seonghwa here, as she wants to visit the place personally.

The apartment is 21 floors high and the Kang family lives on the 7th floor. It was built in 2010 and the family has been living there since 2012 and have renewed their housing contract this year until 2016. It's a fairly large duplex, 42 pyeong (138.6 sq.m.) and the rent amounts to ₩3,200,000 a month. Quite pricey, but Sangyeob makes ₩5,678,000 as a mobile application developer for a healthcare company, and Ahyeon, an accountant, makes ₩5,184,000 as a budget analyst for a construction company. They're definitely in a better place compared to other working-class citizens, but they can hardly call themselves rich.

Their unit has three bedrooms, one full bathroom upstairs and a half bathroom downstairs, one balcony, a sizable kitchen, and a separate laundry room. The Kang family have made some improvements to their property, such as installing their own CCTV cameras, an intercom system, and a door phone. Clearly, the Kangs value security and comfort, utilizing technology when they can.

Yubin was fairly impressed by their 'smart home', stating she feels more at ease leaving Seonghwa with the Kangs than any other family. Ahyeon's main worry comes in the form of the guest room, which she believes is a little small (It's the same size as Yeosang's, though). It will be converted to Seonghwa's bedroom, so Ahyeon meticulously cleaned it and left the painting duty to Yeosang.

Originally, the walls were meant to be white, but Yeosang ran out of paint. He didn't use all of the money to buy paint; he also bought himself a chicken sandwich. So, he discreetly bought 3D wood wallpapers from the nearest hardware and stuck them onto the remaining wall. It ended up looking like an accent wall, and his parents praised him for his artistic skill, so they bought him another chicken sandwich.

Sangyeob sold the old bed so they can buy a new one, but Yubin made a surprise visit that caught them off-guard. Luckily, Polaris provides a single bed and study table for all of their kids when they get adopted, if the family doesn't have one ready. Ms. Bora apparently went the extra mile and bought fancy stuff for Seonghwa's room.

By 'fancy stuff', that means a pendant light with a geometric stained glass cage, all the wooden stuff (bed frame, table, closet, bedside drawer, mounted shelves) are made out of genuine birch imported from America, and the mattress is made of memory foam. Yubin did explain that Seonghwa's illness also causes him pain in his chest, abdomen, and joints, so the mattress probably helps alleviate discomfort.

Yeosang flopped on the couch in the living room, tired from stuffing all of Seonghwa's clothes in his cabinet. The blonde has a lot of clothes, most of them are designer brands too. He closes his eyes for a second, wondering why an orphan owns so much expensive stuff.

When he opens his eyes again, Yubin is sitting on the other end of the couch, tapping away at her phone. The short-haired woman is wearing a white button-down shirt tucked into high-waist dark blue dress pants and of course, expensive leather shoes. She rolled the sleeves of her shirt and Yeosang can see faint scars on her forearms.

It's as if a wild animal clawed at her arms and ripped chunks of flesh and skin in its wake. The longest scar that he can see extends from the tip of her elbow to just below her wrist. Now that he's looking at her hands, he can see even more faint scarring on her fingers. They must have looked grotesque at some point, but they've faded slightly.

The scars just added another layer of mystery to the already enigmatic woman. Yubin glances at him from the corner of her eye. Yeosang looks away, embarrassed.

"Are you tired from moving all of Seonghwa's clothes?" Yubin asked.

"A bit. I didn't expect him to have so much stuff. And they're expensive stuff too." Yeosang replied.

"Ms. Bora buys all of Seonghwa's stuff, from his clothes, his school supplies... everything he needs, Ms. Bora provides it for him." Yubin said, turning back to her phone.

"That... Ms. Bora, she really takes good care of Seonghwa, huh? Is she like that with all the kids?" Yeosang inquires.

Yubin puts her phone down and faces him. Her expression is neutral, but Yeosang can see fondness in her eyes. "Ms. Bora sees all the kids as her children. However, even mothers have a favorite child, whether they admit it or not. And Seonghwa is Ms. Bora's, so she goes all out for him. The other children do get jealous from time to time, but since Seonghwa is so nice, they don't hate him." she answers.

Yeosang nods thoughtfully. "I'm glad Seonghwa ended up in Polaris and not in any state foster care system."

"He is indeed a very lucky boy." Yubin said.

Her words seem to carry more weight than what her calm expression suggests but Yeosang doesn't want to look too deep into it.

Between Yubin's scars, Seonghwa's allure, this 'Ms. Bora' that he keeps hearing about and Polaris' complex history, he feels as if he's opening a door to a different world. He'll just talk to Seonghwa when he gets here.

The intercom in the living room rings and Yeosang presses the answer button.

"Yes?"

"Yeosang, where are you? Can you set up Seonghwa's PC? I'm gonna make his bed and I'm deciding between the blue or the pink one." Ahyeon said.

"Pink...?" Yeosang asked. "Just use the blue one. Why would you give him the pink one?"

"His favorite color is pink!" Ahyeon reminds him. "Just get up here and set this PC up."

"Oh, fine." Yeosang groans, standing up. His back pops in protest. He needs to do more stretching exercises too.

~

**8:46 a.m. | Outside Kang Family House**

**PanDaMi**

Where are u?

**SuAAAAAAA**

Here now. Got food

**PanDaMi**

What did u get?

**SuAAAAAAA**

Food

**PanDaMi**

What kinda food u got?

**SuAAAAAAA**

Takeout duh

**PanDaMi**

Just get ur ass up here

Bora parked her blue Subaru Legacy outside the tall residential building. Seonghwa had fallen asleep during their trip, his head resting on the neck pillow she bought for him. He looks so cute, his soft cheek squished on the pillow, his full lips looking like a pouty fish.

_He has lips like her. He even sleeps like her._

Seonghwa is wearing a white turtleneck under the multi-colored (well, different tints of blue) jumper that she bought for him in Russia. He accessorized with a chain necklace and silver rings that Bora's partner, the Wolf, bought during a trip to Poland, especially for their 'little flower'.

_Even though we can't have you, we can still care for you, sweet pea._

Bora reaches out to poke his other cheek. "Wakey wakey sweet pea! We're here!" she chirps.

Seonghwa mumbles something and blinks his eyes open. He turns to Bora, who is looking at him with a warm smile as if he was her whole world. The blonde smiles back, his heart feeling full at the sight.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"The entire trip. You fell asleep as soon as you got into the car." Bora replies with a cheeky grin.

Seonghwa blushes, his cheeks turning pink. Bora pinches his cheek, making him pout.

 _Sweet pea is the closest I can get to seeing_ her _pout._

"Well then, the Kangs and Yubin have been working since 7 to get your room ready. I bought them something to eat along the way." Bora says, gesturing at the brown paper bags filled with takeout from Vinny's on the backseat. "We should give these to them before it gets cold. I heard Yeosang moved a lot of stuff so I got him the Xtra Chicken Sandwich."

Seonghwa smiles at the thought of seeing Yeosang again. "Yeah, he loves chicken. He'll like it."

"Why don't you give it to him personally? Yubin said you two got along really well." Bora suggested, unbuckling her seatbelt. Seonghwa does the same and they get out of the car.

Bora opens the backseat's doors and hands two paper bags to Seonghwa and brings the other two along with her. She makes sure all the doors are locked before leading him into the building.

Yubin told her the place is fairly new and has good security, so she doesn't have to worry about any unexpected attacks happening. Still, she keeps Seonghwa close to her in case anything happens. Seonghwa is alert too; he's never been here before so he has his guard up.

The building is pretty standard for a middle-class apartment, nothing too fancy. A security guard checks them when they enter through the front entrance and they have to write their names in a guest log book. They take the elevator to the 7th floor and make their way to Unit 712, the Kang family's house.

Bora texted Yubin rang the doorbell and someone answered through the door phone.

"Hello, Kang residence. Who is this?" someone greets them.

"Yeosang!" Seonghwa instantly recognizes the deep, calming voice. "It's me and Ms. Bora. We got chicken—"

Even before the sentence ends, the door swings open, revealing Yeosang, in a sweaty light blue T-shirt and grey sweatpants, his hair swept back. He's quite handsome, not as handsome as the Wolf, of course. But still good-looking.

Bora can see Seonghwa blushing. He has a good taste in men.

Seonghwa and Yeosang stare at each other for a few seconds before Bora cuts in.

"May we enter?" she asked. Yeosang quickly moves out of the way to let them enter.

Sangyeob and Ahyeon greet them, Yubin lingering behind. Ahyeon takes the paper bags to the kitchen while Sangyeob leads Bora upstairs to check out Seonghwa's room. Bora gives a pinch to the blonde boy's cheek before leaving him with Yeosang and Yubin in the living room. Yubin smiles knowingly and declares she'll help Ahyeon get the food out of the bags.

Seonghwa kept one bag with him. "For you." he said shyly, handing it to Yeosang.

Yeosang gleefully takes the bag and his heart feels full of love and joy when he sees an Xtra Chicken Sandwich in there. "You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you enough."

Seonghwa just smiles at him. "I'm happy you liked it."

"I don't just like it, I love it." Yeosang looks into Seonghwa's eyes.

Bad move.

As soon as they make eye contact, Yeosang feels himself plunge back into the icy pool. A chill runs down his spine and spreads throughout his body. His heart starts to beat faster, pumping blood through his veins at an accelerated rate. He swallows; his throat is dry and sandy. Yeosang's body moves on its own. Seconds later, he's pressed up against Seonghwa, his neck bared and ready to be bitten.

Seonghwa closes his eyes, shaking his head violently. He backs away from Yeosang, which snaps the other boy out of his trance. He too backs away and stares at Seonghwa.

"S-Stop... don't look at me..." Seonghwa pleads, his eyes still closed.

Yeosang frowns and pulls his brother to sit on the couch. "Take a seat." he said, pushing him down. Seonghwa keeps his eyes closed but allows Yeosang to do what he wants.

The blonde blindly removes his backpack (the same one he wore in their first meeting) and reaches inside. Yeosang places his chicken sandwich on the coffee table and gently holds Seonghwa's wrist.

"Y-Yeosang?" Seonghwa squeaked, his eyes still shut.

"What do you need?" Yeosang asked.

"Glasses. I need my glasses." Seonghwa replied.

Yeosang takes the blonde's bag and rummages inside. He has his 3DS in its pink hardshell case, a silver pouch, his phone (an iPhone 6 Plus with a cute Totoro case), and finally, a luxurious leather glasses case.

He took it out and handed the gold-framed round glasses to his brother. Seonghwa shyly wore them and turned to Yeosang.

"How do I look?" Seonghwa asked.

Yeosang stared into Seonghwa's twinkling blue eyes and felt _another_ part of him stiffen.

"Beautiful. Fantastic. Gorgeous. Amazing. Spectacular. Sexy as fuck." Yeosang babbles, lost in Seonghwa's gaze. This time, he doesn't feel the cold chill that usually accompanies it.

"You... like to stare, don't you?" Seonghwa looks away, feeling self-conscious of his glasses. "Do I really look that strange?"

"I like to stare at you because you're beautiful." Yeosang blurts out. "Hasn't anyone ever told you how mesmerizing your eyes are? They're like... aquamarines."

Seonghwa blushes. "I-I've heard my eyes being compared to, um, blue lemonade, but not to gems..."

"Blue... lemonade?" Yeosang asked, dumbfounded.

Seonghwa pouts. "It's Ms. Bora. She said my eyes are like blue lemonade. H-Her eyes are like mine too!" he whines.

Yeosang chuckles. "Well, if Ms. Bora says they're like blue lemonade, they must be like blue lemonade."

Seonghwa sulks, which Yeosang finds to be adorable. He resists the urge to jump him and kiss him senseless on the couch.

They can do that in his room. With their clothes off. Preferably when their parents aren't home so Seonghwa can scream Yeosang's name as he thrusts into the blonde. Seonghwa would look so gorgeous, spread out on Yeosang's bed, his pale skin blushed pink from the heat of their love-making—

"Um... is this one of your issues again?" Seonghwa broke him out of his thoughts, innocently pointing at the bulge in Yeosang's sweatpants.

Yeosang has long accepted that his dick will harden in response to being near Seonghwa.

"...Please ignore that. It'll go down on its own." he said, resigned to his fate of untimely erections.

"I can... take care of it... if you want..." Seonghwa suggested, his cheeks burning pink as he pats Yeosang's crotch.

At that moment, Yeosang's sanity evaporated into thin air. His dick is so hard and ready to rail Seonghwa, it's formed a very noticeable tent. All he needs to do now is strip Seonghwa and take him on this very couch.

"Is it okay? Maybe I should stop? Do you want to do this later?" Seonghwa presses his hand harder against Yeosang's clothed dick. He locked eyes with the younger boy. The icy chill returned, but this time it felt like cold flames licking at his very core. The feeling went straight to his groin.

**⚠️ Potentially Triggering Content ⚠️**

Yeosang's hips moved involuntarily and Seonghwa squeaked like a frightened mouse. He pulled his hand back but Yeosang was already pushing him down. The blonde's backpack fell on the floor with a thud but Yeosang could care less.

A flash of fear crosses Seonghwa's face when Yeosang holds his wrists on either side of his head. The younger boy's grip is strong, stronger than he expected.

"Y-Yeosang?!" Seonghwa gasped when Yeosand leaned down to used his teeth to pull down the older boy's shirt so he can press his lips on the side of the blonde's neck. "Yeosang stop!"

But Yeosang was consumed by the blonde's allure and he opened his mouth to suck at the pale skin. Seonghwa tried to push him away but he couldn't do it without hurting Yeosang.

"Yeosang stop... I don't... I don't like this..." Seonghwa tried. Yeosang bit into his skin, making him wince. The younger boy licked and sucked on the same spot, intending to make a hickey. Seonghwa's chest heaved as Yeosang continued to mark him, his resolve fading.

_"Why does this always happen to me...?"_

Tears burned behind his eyelids and Seonghwa let out a pathetic whimper. It was happening again and he can't stop it.

Bora is in the house but she's upstairs. Yubin is in the house but she's in the kitchen. The movers are probably working. Sangyeob is touring Bora around. Ahyeon is preparing the food. And Seonghwa is here, with Yeosang.

_"Why does this always happen when I'm alone and defenseless...?"_

_Oh little flower, you're anything but defenseless. You're too gentle to fight back, but we can easily fix that._

Yeosang pulled back after sucking a dark mark on his skin. Seonghwa stared up at him with glassy eyes. The younger boy's pupils are as black as the midnight sky, his mind consumed by lust.

_Don't be afraid, little flower. You know you can do it. Just let it go._

Seonghwa shook his head. The voice was whispering to him again. "Stop it... stop it please..." he cried, tears falling from his eyes. "Please stop it... I don't want it... no more..."

**❗️ Safe Now ❗️**

Yeosang pulled back, stunned at what he attempted to do. Or rather, what he had already done.

He was braced above a crying Seonghwa, who has a dark cherry red mark on the side of his neck. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and Yeosang gasps in horror when he realizes he was holding Seonghwa's wrists.

"Holy shit! Fuck, I'm so sorry!" Yeosang knew that was an understatement but he had no other words to say. He let go of the blonde's wrists and pulled him into a hug.

Seonghwa pushed his face into Yeosang's chest, hating how weak he is.

_My poor little flower._

"I... I should... I'm sorry." Yeosang stammers when Seonghwa doesn't stop crying.

He wonders why no one is passing by the living room at this time, but he's secretly thankful. If Bora and Yubin saw what he did, they'd take Seonghwa away from them. And his parents would probably disown him.

"Hwa, look at me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It's just... you're so sexy..."

Seonghwa lifts his face from Yeosang's shirt, his face red and wet with tears. The younger boy cupped the blonde's cheek and wiped a tear away. Seonghwa surprisingly leaned into the touch.

"It won't happen again." Yeosang said firmly. "I'm sorry I did that. I promise you that I'll protect you no matter what."

Seonghwa offered him a smile. It was beautifully broken and a wave of sadness coursed through Yeosang. How could Seonghwa trust him when he almost lost control?

"Thank you." Seonghwa said, his voice small and vulnerable. "I'm sorry I did that... I'll be more careful in the future... I didn't mean to tease you..."

Yeosang freezes when he realizes he still has a boner, despite all of that. Seonghwa noticed it too. How could he not, when it was poking him?

"I should... take care of this..." Yeosang mutters mostly to himself.

"I-If you want... I can take care of it later..." Seonghwa suggests, but Yeosang can see how uncomfortable he is.

"Yeah, no." Yeosang turns to his chicken sandwich. "Right now, I wanna eat this sandwich before it gets cold."

Seonghwa hums in agreement, pulling his turtleneck up to hide the mark. Yeosang picks up the blonde's bag and hands it to him. Seonghwa takes his phone out and leaves Yeosang to awkwardly eat his sandwich in peace.

~

**9:56 p.m. | Kang Family House**

The movers have left around lunchtime, but Bora and Yubin had to discuss Seonghwa's education, his medicine, and his monthly checkups with Sangyeob and Ahyeon. They talked until around 3, so Yeosang played some games with Seonghwa on the blonde's laptop.

Seonghwa has a gaming laptop. Bora bought it for him. Yeosang is a bit jealous that the blonde has both an expensive gaming laptop and a high-end PC, plus a Nintendo 3DS and a PS4. Then again, Seonghwa can't go out much due to his illness.

It's been a long day for them, and Yeosang is ready to clock in earlier than his usual sleeping time. But he still checks on Seonghwa before confining himself to his room. The blonde shyly opens the door and lets Yeosang inside. He locks the door behind them, strangely.

"You like your new room? I painted this myself." Yeosang asked, admiring his hard work.

"It's beautiful. I love the accent wall. You have an eye for design." Seonghwa replies.

The younger boy checked him out. Seonghwa changed into light blue pajamas, which are made of the finest silk (a gift from Bora's partner, who bought it from Mongolia). A bright red mark stood out against his pale skin and Yeosang feels bad for hurting Seonghwa.

The blonde notices him staring and covers his neck with his hand. Yeosang laughs awkwardly.

"Uh, you must be tired, right? Well... I guess I'll leave you now. Um... call me if you need me, okay? I'm number 4 on the intercom." he said, glancing at the intercom Ahyeon placed on the bedside table. He hurried out of the door, but Seonghwa grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry about earlier... it was too sudden... I'm ready now." Seonghwa said softly.

**⚠️ Sexy Time ⚠️**

Yeosang knew what that meant. He looked into Seonghwa's eyes and his body heated up in arousal almost instantly. The blonde gently pushes him down on the bed and crawls between his legs. Yeosang pulls his pajamas and boxers down to reveal his erection. He can't believe how easily he gets hard just by looking at Seonghwa. It's as if the blonde has magic that arouses people.

"You're this hard already?" Seonghwa asked, placing his hands on Yeosang's thighs and lowering his face to the younger boy's crotch.

"All because of you." Yeosang replies. "Now, suck."

Seonghwa scoffs at the younger boy's demanding tone but complies. The blonde's plump lips slowly slip over the head of Yeosang's dick and he sucks lightly. He pulls off for a second to spread pre-cum around the head with his tongue.

The blonde licks around the head a few times before taking more of Yeosang inside. He had half in his mouth before the tip hit the back of his throat, making him gag. Seonghwa breathed through his nose as he bobbed his head along the shaft, taking care not to use his teeth. His sinful tongue caressed the veiny underside of Yeosang's dick, and he uses his right hand to fondle his balls.

Yeosang produces so much pre that Seonghwa has to pull off to swallow it down. When Yeosang looked down, he groaned at the sight. Seonghwa is already a mess; lips glistening with spit and sticky with pre, puffy from sucking on dick.

"Fuck." Yeosang curses. He grips the sheets hard and throws his head back when Seonghwa goes back to business. He's not gonna last long, and the blonde seems intent on making him cum soon.

Seonghwa can't it take all, so he mouths along the side of Yeosang's dick, kissing and licking along the shaft so he can lather every inch in spit. Then he trails kisses down Yeosang's left thigh while pumping his dick with his hand. The blonde finds a spot on his thigh and begins to suck.

Something sharp like a blade grazes Yeosang's thigh. That momentarily snaps him out of his trance, making him flinch. Seonghwa brings his mouth back to Yeosang's dick and the younger boy forgets every other feeling but the pleasure.

The blonde continues his light-sucking until Yeosang is lost to the pleasure again. He returns to the spot he picked out and quickly sinks his fangs into the younger boy's thigh, piercing the saphenous vein. Yeosang practically howls (thank goodness for the thick walls), the pleasure from the bite nearly making him cum, if not for Seonghwa's fingers closing around the base of his cock.

Seonghwa retracts his fangs and sucks on the blood oozing from the puncture wounds. Yeosang tastes savory, like hickory-smoked barbecue. The taste is pleasant and something he might get used to. This is only a sampler, though, so Seonghwa seals the wound with a few kitten licks.

"Thanks for that. You're very tasty. Now, let me reward you..." the blonde says, returning his lips to Yeosang's aching dick. 

As soon as Seonghwa's lips close around him, Yeosang bucks into his mouth. Seonghwa gags when the tip slips down his throat. Yeosang pushes his head lower, forcing more of his dick inside. Seonghwa tries to pull off, panicking, but Yeosang is strong and soon, the blonde's lips were stretched wide around the base of his dick.

Seonghwa, stunned at the turn of events, didn't have time to prepare himself as Yeosang began fucking into his throat. He won't last long though, he's pouring so much pre-cum down the blonde's gullet.

Yeosang looked down and met Seonghwa's teary eyes. That was all he needed before his vision whited out and he came deep inside Seonghwa's throat, giving him no choice but to swallow it all.

As soon as it started, it was over. Seonghwa pulled off Yeosang for the last time, licking his cum-stained, cherry red lips, making his dick twitch again.

**❗️ Sexy Time Done ❗️**

"Fuck. _Fuck_ , that's so hot." Yeosang groans.

"Is it?" Seonghwa teased, voice slightly hoarse. "I'm glad you enjoyed that. Now, I need to brush my teeth, and I assume you need to, er, clean up again."

Yeosang sagged against the pillows. "Fuck. Give me 10 minutes. You just gave me the blowjob of a lifetime. I don't wanna move yet."

Seonghwa giggles and lays down beside his adoptive brother. "10 minutes starts now."

Yeosang wraps an arm around him and Seonghwa smiles in content. He can get used to this.

~

**??? | Outside, Kang Family House**

Yubin stood at the rooftop of a building adjacent to the Kang family's residence. Next to her is a short, white-haired teen in black long-sleeves and skinny jeans.

"I'm gonna rip his throat out and drain his blood." the white-haired boy seethes. "How dare that filthy human touch my Hwa."

"I think Hwa liked it. If he really wanted to, he could have thrown Yeosang off." Yubin said an amused smile on her face.

"You know Hwa, he never fights back. That fucker's as good as dead the next time he tries something like that." the boy growls.

"Oh Hongjoong..." Yubin as the white-haired male stomps off, disappearing into the shadows.

The woman smiles mysteriously, glancing at the apartment building once again before following Hongjoong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is hongjoong’s role?


	4. School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a regular school day turns tragic when a bunch of teenagers do something dumb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: blood, gore, minor character death

**3/12/20 | 7:24 a.m. | Jungshin High School, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do**

Seonghwa arrived a little later than usual since Yeosang woke up late and received a scolding from Ahyeon. He's been to four different schools since he arrived in Korea, and is used to transferring in the middle of the school year. His unusual appearance garners him many questions, which range from asking if he bleaches his hair and wears contact lenses to speculation on his true ethnicity.

Right now, he's making his way to his classroom, tuning out the hushed whispers and judgmental eyes of his schoolmates. It's something he's learning to live with but Seonghwa thinks he's a bit shy and sensitive so he may never get used to being the center of attention.

It doesn't help that his (usually) uncontrollable allure attracts unwanted attention, even with the help of the "enchanted" glasses that Bora gave him.

When he reaches his classroom, Seonghwa politely greets the few classmates who acknowledge his presence before going to his designated seat at the second to the last row near the window. He sits in front of Jung Wooseok, a very tall and slightly intimidating (but not really) boy, and behind Jang Yeeun, a beautiful, outspoken girl who is somewhat of an outcast. The one to his right is Chong Ting-yan, a Chinese student who prefers to be called the nickname Elkie and the one to his left is Adachi Yuto, a quiet Japanese boy with a rather deep voice. 

Seonghwa isn't sure he can consider them friends just yet, but they're nice and he spends his break time hanging out with them and another student, Kang Hyunggu, who is in another class. Yuto is asleep and Wooseok is flicking candy wrappers at him, Yeeun and Elkie turned their chairs to face each other and are engaged in a deep conversation about candied fruits, so Seonghwa takes out his math notebook and skims over their lessons in case the teacher gives them a pop quiz.

Yeeun notices him studying and decides to mess with him by putting a tin of dried fruits on top of his opened notebook, right on the part that he was reading. Seonghwa looks up from his notes and sees Yeeun grinning deviously at him.

"That's kinda rude." he says but smiles back at her.

"It's rather rude to just ignore us and immerse yourself in boring math lessons when you could be talking to us." Yeeun said, turning to face him.

Elkie is also facing him with a cheeky smile. "That's your share." she gestures to the tin on his notebook. "I bought one for all of us except Hyunggu cause he's a bitchy princess so I'm gonna give him a tin with cheap candy."

Yeeun bursts out laughing, waking Yuto up. Wooseok sniggers behind him and Seonghwa smiles wryly.

"You're so mean." Wooseok said. "What did Hyunggu do to deserve cheap candy? Did he tell you that your nail art is a tacky design?"

Elkie huffs in annoyance. "Since when was cheetah print tacky? I worked hard on this!" she shows her meticulously manicured nails to them. Nail polish isn't allowed in school but Elkie, like Yeeun, doesn't care much for school rules.

"They're actually pretty." Seonghwa comments, making Elkie blush cutely. The corner of Yeeun's mouth twitches and he catches her eye for a second.

"Thank you, Hwa. Do you really think I'm pretty?" Elkie asked, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at him.

Elkie is undoubtedly beautiful, Seonghwa isn't going to lie. Her features are soft and feminine, which most Korean guys seem to like, but Seonghwa isn't like most guys.

"Idiot, he said _your nails_ are pretty, not _you're_ pretty." Yeeun playfully retorts. Elkie gives her a side-eyed glance and smirks knowingly.

"Relax, Eun, I'm not gonna steal _your_ man." Elkie says patronizingly. Yeeun rolls her eyes and mutters a curse, but Elkie laughs at her reaction.

Seonghwa doesn't want to read too much into their interaction so he refocuses on the tin placed on his desk. He removes the lid and finds an assortment of dried fruits inside: strawberries (his favorite), green grapes, oranges, pear, and pineapple. The blonde picks up a strawberry and pops it in his mouth, aware of Yeeun and Elkie's eyes on him.

It's making him a little embarrassed, but nothing he hasn't handled before. If he can take Yeosang staring at him every time they're in the same room, having two pretty girls watch him eat is fine.

Except it's _Yeeun_ , and Yeeun is boring holes into his skull with her fierce eyes, and the way she swipes her tongue across her lips is making him feel intimidated yet excited at the same time. Elkie is no better, her eyes are heavy-lidded and her smile is charmingly coy, giving the impression of a dreaming fairy.

As he swallows the strawberry, Yeeun's breath hitches, her eyes trailing down the column of his neck to watch his Adam's apple bob. Elkie gulps, mirroring his action.

"Oh wow." Yuto suddenly butts in. "Sexy." he comments off-handedly, then goes back to sleep.

Yeeun and Elkie exchanged nervous glances, realizing they got flustered watching Seonghwa eat dried fruit. Seonghwa shrinks into his seat, hoping his allure won't cause his classmates to suddenly jump him in the middle of the room.

Wooseok clears his throat to diffuse the tension. "Say, how's the strawberry?" he asks as casually as possible.

"It was good. Thank you, Elkie." Seonghwa replies, addressing Elkie with a glance.

Elkie makes a little squeak and ducks into Yeeun's shoulder to hide her red face. Yeeun laughs awkwardly, forcing herself to look at Seonghwa. He too, blushes, because _Jang Yeeun_ is looking at him and she's so freaking pretty.

Thankfully, the bell rings, waking Yuto up, and the teacher enters the classroom, so the group is spared from more awkwardness.

~

**Lunch Time | Canteen, Jungshin High School**

Wooseok drags Seonghwa to the table they usually occupy. Yuto trails behind while Yeeun and Elkie wait for their friend Sakura, who is in a different class. Hyunggu is already sitting there with his lunch and waves excitedly at his friends.

"Hey, guys! I saved us the best table!" Hyunggu exclaims, causing Yuto to roll his eyes and Wooseok to snigger. The table is circular and technically big enough to fit 8 people, but it's going to be a tight fit.

Seonghwa sits between Yuto and Wooseok, making him look strangely small. Hyunggu sits next to Yuto and is trying to strike a conversation with him about football and toxic masculinity. Yuto tries his best to match Hyunggu's enthusiasm. Wooseok shows Seonghwa a new racing game. The blonde watches in amusement as Wooseok fails to get first place every round.

The girls arrive shortly after, and Seonghwa sees that Yeeun bought 2 strawberry mochi, and one of them is still in the wrapper. She quickly pockets it when she notices him looking at her. Elkie urges Sakura to sit next to Hyunggu so she can be closer to Yuto, and upon noticing this, Hyunggu switches so that Sakura and Yuto are sitting next to each other. However, Elkie puts Yeeun between her and Hyunggu, since she's still salty he called her nails tacky.

The table is a little cramped, but Seonghwa is enjoying their company more than he thought. Wooseok is very welcoming and Yuto's presence is comforting. There's also the banter between Elkie and Hyunggu, Sakura's failed attempts at flirting with Yuto, Wooseok arguing with Hyunggu about football rules, Yuto being tired of their crap, and Yeeun looking devilishly gorgeous while eating tteokkbokki.

Seonghwa feels happier here than in other schools he's been to.

"So, Yuto-kun, have you ever had a girlfriend?" Sakura asks, earning a little squeal from Hyunggu and Elkie.

"Girlfriend? Not yet. I'm not looking for one, but if I meet a girl I like... we'll see..." Yuto replies. "What about you?" he asks nonchalantly, making Sakura blush and fidget with her hands.

"Um... I... I haven't met a guy who's interested in me yet... N-Not that I'm desperate for a boyfriend!!" Sakura stammers, her face red from the close proximity to Yuto.

"What about you, Seonghwa-yah? Ever had a girlfriend?" Elkie asked from across the table. Yeeun stiffens next to her and she avoids looking at the blonde.

Seonghwa is a bit flustered by the question but decides to answer. "I've dated before but I haven't had a girlfriend yet. Moving around too much makes it hard to keep a relationship."

"Oh, you like girls?" Hyunggu asked curiously. Beside him, Yeeun's eyes widen and she kicks him in the shin.

"I do. What vibe do I give off?" Seonghwa asks back.

"I just assumed you swing both ways." Hyunggu answers. "Do you?"

Seonghwa should find it intrusive that he's being asked about his sexuality, but decides to play along.

"I'm not sure yet. Would you like to help me find out?" Seonghwa teased, using just a bit of allure to get Hyunggu hot and bothered.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a chain reaction happened: Hyunggu's face turns beet red, Elkie and Sakura let out squeals of excitement, Yeeun freezes up, Wooseok chokes on bulgogi and Yuto continues eating.

Then, Hyunggu says the speech equivalent of a keyboard smash, Seonghwa saves Wooseok from dying of bulgogi choking, Yeeun is violently kicking Hyunggu's foot, Sakura and Elkie are kind of fangirling... and Yuto is still unbothered until he speaks.

"Do you guys like horror stories?" he asked.

"Of course!" Sakura immediately answers. "We have lots of scary stories in Japan. Would you like to hear some?"

"Ooh, we have lots of scary stories in Korea too," says Wooseok, who finally recovers from his near-death experience.

"We have a ghost festival in China called Yúlánpénjié. Aside from that, we also have lots of other scary stories." Elkie chirps in.

"What about you, Seonghwa-yah? Heard any spooky stuff from your time in Uzbekistan?" Yeeun asks, peeking over Hyunggu to see him.

"Well, there's Tamarlane's curse. There are probably more but that's the only one I remember." Seonghwa replied.

"Have you guys heard about the monster in the basement of Dalchae Veterinary Clinic?" Hyunggu asks with a mischievous smirk. This caught everyone's attention.

"Dalchae Clinic is abandoned." Yeeun said. "It was closed down due to malpractice and animal cruelty. Apparently, they drained the blood of animals and used it for Satanic rituals."

"Ew." Elkie makes a disgusted face. "Satanic cults in veterinary clinics? What the fuck?"

Yeeun scans her friends' faces to see if anyone looks too uncomfortable before continuing. "As the story goes, the doctor at Dalchae Clinic is the leader of a Satanic cult and he gathers his members at the basement every full moon to perform a ritual. It's said that they have to do this for 13 moons in order to revive the Bat-Winged Devil."

She turns to Hyunggu, who continues. "It has a somewhat humanoid face with a pig-like snout, sharp teeth like a vampire, a long forked tongue, and big, red eyes the size of tennis balls. The body is stick thin, with deformed ribs sticking out but the stomach is grossly bloated. Large bat-like wings sprout from its back, and it has claws on both hands and feet."

Seonghwa shudders involuntarily. He thinks he knows that that is.

 _Of course, you do, little flower_. The voice in his head chuckles, which only adds to his nervousness.

Wooseok notices his discomfort and discreetly gives his thigh a comforting squeeze as if to assure him that it's just a myth. Seonghwa relaxes a bit, hoping no one is dumb enough to actually go in there and try to confront the 'demon'.

Polaris _should_ know about this. But neither Yubin nor Bora talked about any incidents in Dalchae Clinic, so maybe it's just an urban legend.

"It's said that anyone who goes into the basement at night is consumed by the half-revived devil and turned into a mindless 'blood-sucking creature'. They say the basement is now infested with them, and the only thing keeping them in there is a blessed crucifix that a priest placed on the door to the basement." Hyunggu said.

 _'Blood-sucking creature... bat-winged devil... Oh no...'_ Seonghwa is now more convinced the thing in the basement is what he thinks it is.

"Has anyone ever made it out of the basement alive?" Sakura asked curiously.

 _'No, no, no, do **not** attempt.' _Seonghwa internally panics. _'Not until Polaris investigates the basement first.'_

"No one." Yeeun replied. "According to the stories, about 20 people went missing when they explored Dalchae Clinic."

"It was permanently closed and scheduled for demolition 2 years ago, so no one's been there since. But I heard you can sneak in the building at night if you pay the guards. They'll let you take pictures of the inside but the basement is locked and no one has a key." Hyunggu adds. "It used to be popular among urban explorers, but recently the guards have been stricter since the demolition date is getting closer."

 _'Either way, if that basement contains those **things** , Polaris needs to step in and prevent a disaster.' _Seonghwa contemplates whether or not to excuse himself to call Yubin, or if he should wait for Hyunggu to finish his story so he won't look suspicious.

"You said 20 people went missing there? Why didn't anyone investigate?" Elkie asked. "Surely the police would be involved if that many people disappeared in a particular area."

Hyunggu shrugged. "Aside from the devil theory, there's also an alternative myth: it's the lair of a serial killer."

"That sounds more plausible than a demon." Yuto said. "But if it was a suspected base of operations of a serial killer... why isn't it being investigated?"

"Good point." Yeeun agrees. "So either the story is just an urban legend to keep people away from private property... or there's some truth to it."

"Truth?" Elkie asks, puzzled. "Do you think the site is being used for illegal businesses? Is that why it was closed down?"

Yeeun nods. "Newer theories range from organ harvesting to the creation of 'living sex dolls'."

"Oh god, not _that_." Elkie groans. "I saw that on a 'creepy stuff on the deep web' video."

"Yeah, supposedly, people, usually young girls, are kidnapped and mutilated to become 'living sex dolls'. Their arms and legs are amputated, their vocal cords are removed and they are blinded so they can't do anything. They're basically just human versions of blow-up sex dolls." Hyunggu said.

"Ew, let's not talk about this while eating." Elkie complains. "What _is_ in that basement and why is it so mysterious?"

"Illegal stuff, definitely." Yeeun answers. "Not the kind of stuff I'd risk my ass for."

 _'Oh thank goodness, she has brain cells.'_ Seonghwa almost breathes out a sigh of relief.

"But aren't you guys at least interested in taking pictures of the building's interior?" Hyunggu asked. "I mean, we can pay the guards, snap a few pics and be on our merry way."

"That's probably a bad idea." Seonghwa finally speaks. "I mean, if you suspect they might be conducting illegal business in there... what if the police do a surprise raid and we get caught?"

"He has a point." Wooseok agrees. "Besides, we don't wanna get in trouble with the law."

"You guys suck." Hyunggu pouts, looking deflated. "We can at least look at the building after classes. And we can ask the guards if they know what's in there. I mean, it's not like we're gonna report any illegal shit to the police. Too risky."

"What's the point of trying to pry into the issue if we're not going to report anything?" Elkie asks him. "Look, that place is like, two blocks away from where I live and I don't want to be two blocks away from a drug den or something."

"So you suggest we investigate?" Yeeun asks, looking at her friend incredulously. Beside her, Hyunggu is already grinning. If Elkie says so, _everyone_ has to go.

Elkie gulps when all of them turn to her. "I-I mean, we can just ask the guards. If they don't let us in, we don't go in. We just _ask_."

Seonghwa thinks about it. He can take a look at the place and if he senses something is amiss, he can drag everyone else to safety and call Yubin to handle it. He hopes it's just an old building surrounded by creepy myths, but part of him knows it's not that simple.

_Are you getting adventurous now, little flower? Perhaps Jang Yeeun is rubbing off you?_

"Yeah, no harm in checking it out and asking." Hyunggu said, lighting up at that. "So, Elkie says we investigate. If the guards turn us away, we hang out at her family's shop."

Elkie pauses for a second before smiling slyly. "Yeah, sure. Grandma makes great persimmon tea."

"It's a scam." Yeeun quickly says. "She's gonna-" but before she could finish, Elkie clasps a hand over her mouth.

"I'm gonna treat everyone hospitably!!" Elkie exclaims. "Alright! Let's go investigate the haunted building!"

"Aw yeah!!" Hyunggu cheers. He and Elkie high-five across the table.

Yuto sighs. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Seonghwa wants to agree. All he can do is take comfort in Wooseok's hand on his... when did they hold hands under the table? He catches Wooseok looking at him, but the taller boy turns away shyly when Seonghwa turns to him.

_Perhaps you let off a little **too much** allure, little flower. Careful, you wouldn't want to attract your friends._

_It gets **nasty**. Trust me._

That last bit, he's not sure what the voice in his head means. She could be talking about his inability to control his allure or the fact that he's attracting his friends while also being attracted to his friend, or that he's going to a suspicious area without telling Yubin first.

_Better give Dami a heads up, little flower. Tell her you're going somewhere she may not approve of. Also, send your 'uncle' Sungjae a message just in case Dami's busy._

Seonghwa does that. After lunch ends, he sends preemptive messages to Yubin and his 'uncle' Sungjae. This isn't something he can involve the Kang family in, the professionals should be the ones to deal with this. He also sends a text to his mom and dad that he'll be out with some friends so Sangyeob doesn't pick him up later.

 _'I hope I'm doing the right thing.'_ he thinks as he takes his seat, waiting for the teacher to arrive.

_There's no 'wrong' nor 'right' thing to do, little flower. No decision is free of consequences._

He hates how much wisdom the voice in his head speaks.

**~After classes, near Dalchae Veterinary Clinic~**

Elkie and Hyunggu seem to have made up, as they lead the group of 7 to the abandoned building. Seonghwa unconsciously reached for Yeeun's hand as they walked, and the short-haired girl only flashed a bright smile at him as she squeezed his hand as Wooseok walked next to him. Yuto walks behind the rest, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any potential threat. Sakura holds onto his arm like a lover, and to anyone looking, they look like a couple. Wooseok looks like a third wheel to Seonghwa and Yeeun.

When the building comes into view, Seonghwa felt a chill go down his spine. _'I knew it.'_

Even when it's concealed in the depths of the building's basement, the unmistakable stench of corrupted chiropteran permeates, tainting the air with the stench of putrid flesh, pus, and blood, mixing together to assault his olfactory senses.

Of course, _humans_ can't smell it from this distance, otherwise, they would be gagging from the smell. But Seonghwa is no human.

Yeeun glances at Seonghwa with worry in her eyes. "Do you need your medicine or something?" she whispers so as not to concern the others.

Seonghwa figures he must look rather ill because Yeeun teases him playfully when he's scared. He nods shakily, but Yeeun grips his hand tighter. "Scared, but fine." is his hushed reply.

"Don't fuck with me." Yeeun hisses. "You're paler than a fucking ghost. Your hand is clammy as fuck. You look like you're gonna faint."

Wooseok notices them talking and sees that Seonghwa does look like he's gonna faint. The taller boy puts an arm around his shoulders to steady him but doesn't say anything yet since he doesn't want to cause a scene.

"I'm fine." Seonghwa says in a low voice. "But I have a bad feeling about that place."

Wooseok nods. "We'll just take a look a the building, and if the guards let us in, I'll tell Elkie you're not feeling well. We don't have to go in if you don't want to."

 _'Bad idea, if I don't go in, what will happen to the others? I can't let them go in that place now that I know what's in there.'_ Seonghwa thinks fast.

"I know I'll be safe when I'm with you guys." he said. Then he kind of regrets it. _'Because it's my job to keep you guys safe.'_

"Aww." Yeeun blushes. "You really think I can keep you safe, Hwa?" she teases, using her other hand to poke his cheek.

It's Seonghwa's turn to blush because Yeeun is leaning closer, she's looking at him with her mesmerizing eyes and she's still holding his hand, she's so near, he can feel her body heat, she-

"Hey you lovebirds, quit flirting! We're here already!!" Hyunggu calls them out.

"Oh my god, Yeeun! Have some decency! Save that for the bedroom! It's haunted building time!" Elkie yells, tugging on Hyunggu's arm.

Yeeun pulls away and Seonghwa does the same.

Elkie and Hyunggu are already entering the fence through a hole that looks like it was cut off with pliers. It seems the guards have let them in, as they're already counting the money that Hyunggu presumably forked up.

The rancid stench assaults Seonghwa again and he almost gags. He looks at the derelict 2-floor building, noticing the state of decay it was left in. The white paint faded to a dusty gray color, the remaining windows look like they were smashed from the inside (which is weird) and the front entrance has no doors - the glass has been thoroughly destroyed, leaving only metal frames that anyone can go through.

Behind the Ye-Woo-Hwa trio, Yuto is looking at the guards suspiciously while Sakura hides behind his broad frame. Then, Yuto walks over to the trio. He puts a hand on Seonghwa and Wooseok's shoulders, catching their attention. Sakura slides next to Yeeun and holds onto the short-haired girl's arm.

"I don't think we should go inside the building. We should just go." Yuto said.

"And leave Elkie with Hyunggu?!" Yeeun asked, both worried and scared. Yuto is known for being very observant and he usually knows how to spot trouble before it brews.

"I mean, we can convince Elkie and Hyunggu to leave." Sakura says, looking slightly teary. "Look at them, Yeeun-ah. Those people don't look nice." she whispers, gesturing towards the guards.

Yeeun glances at them and sees the security guards pocketing the cash. One of them turns to the group and gives them a mean look. Yeeun replies with her own glare.

It didn't go unnoticed by Seonghwa, who heard the guard's low growl. Humans don't make sounds in that decibel.

"Alright. Let's convince the idiots to take pictures and leave. Fuck Hyunggu's cash, he's an idiot for paying anyway." Yeeun grunts, ducking through the hole in the fence. Everyone follows suit, but Seonghwa keeps turning towards the guards.

_'Chiropterans in human skin. Better get ready to fight. If only Ms. Yubin and Uncle Sungjae were here...'_

Elkie and Hyunggu are already waiting for them at the entrance of the building. This near, even the humans can smell the foul odor that's been bugging Seonghwa for a while.

"This place smells gross." Elkie complains. "But we paid money to get in here, so we might as well enjoy it."

"Five minutes in this shithole and we'll leave." Hyunggu said, pulling out a dust mask from his bag. "Fuck, what is in this place? Dead rodents or something?"

Seonghwa puts on a black surgical mask that he always brings with him while the others put on their own masks. The air pollution in Korea is bad, so everyone has a mask handy, which is good for Seonghwa, who prefers to hide his fangs with a mask.

"Alright, let's stick close to each other. If anyone has to throw up, we all get the fuck out of the building. Wherever one goes, we all go. Clear?" Hyunggu regards everyone, acting as a sort-of leader.

"Yeah, let's just hurry up before someone passes out from the smell." Elkie says, taking Hyunggu's hand and leading him into the building. "The sooner we get those pictures, the sooner we can leave." she adds.

"We don't have flashlights. Whose phone will be the sacrifice?" Yeeun asks, now noticing that they're completely unprepared for this.

"Use mine." Sakura offers, giving her phone to Elkie. It's a sparkly pink Docomo flip phone with a white puff charm. "That's a spare phone. My real one isn't that tacky." she adds.

"I have one too." Yuto says, pulling out his own Docomo flip phone, a black one with lots of wear and tear. "Elkie lights the front, I'll light the back in case someone's following us." he said.

"You're so paranoid, Yuto." Hyunggu teases. "Let's go inside and get this over with." he said.

And with that, the group (dumbly) enters the supposedly haunted building. Yeeun takes Seonghwa's hand again and he feels the need to protect her with all his might.

_Very noble, little flower._

The moment he steps into the building, however, Seonghwa's foot catches on the glass door's metal frame, and he trips.

Luckily, Wooseok is next to him, to the taller boy steadies him before he falls face-first into the floor. Yeeun giggles but she rubs her thumb on the back of his hand in hopes of easing his nerves.

"You okay back there, Hwa?" Hyunggu asks, looking back.

Seonghwa nods, and Wooseok pulls him closer, arm around his shoulder in a protective hold. He ducks into Wooseok's arm, not minding that he looks wimpy, because true vampires have phosphorescent eyes, and he doesn't want to scare anyone.

Then, he hears _it_. A low, rumbling sound from what may be the basement. Corrupted chiropterans wailing, rattling their chains, seeking their next victim. Seonghwa shudders at the thought of having to fight them.

"Okay, so it looks like we're in the main lobby..." Elkie trails off, looking around the illuminated area. She focuses the light on the reception desk, which is splattered with what seems to be blood. It dripped down to the floor as if someone - or _something_ \- was stabbed on top of the desk.

She gulps audibly and shines the light elsewhere. The rest of the lobby isn't much of a mess, just chairs, and other junk. Surprisingly, there's no vandalism present. There are two doors in the first floor, one that leads to a restroom and another to a doctor's room. Both are open, and there doesn't seem to be anything amiss. Just trash and decaying furniture.

"Where's the basement?" Hyunggu asks, looking around the doctor's room. "I didn't see anything in the lobby. Is it a secret basement?"

"I don't think the entrance is here." Elkie said. "What if it's one of those basements that you enter from outside?" she suggests.

"Let's look at the second floor first." Hyunggu said. "It smells worse there, though. I don't know if we can take the stench."

"We can't." Yuto interrupts. "It smells so bad and I don't like this place. And those guards are planning something nasty. What if they frame us?"

"Well... I mean, we gave them money. They can tell the cops that we did illegal stuff in here..." Elkie murmurs.

Hyunggu sees their point. "Yeah, this was dumb. It was just an old, smelly building after all." he says dejectedly.

"Oh, what's this?" Sakura calls their attention. She's pointing at a "chart" mounted to the wall. Elkie shines a light there and they gasp at what it shows.

**Anatomy of Chiropteran**

Seonghwa's grip on Wooseok's arm tightens.

The creature detailed in the chart isn't something the humans have seen before. It looks almost exactly like the mythical 'bat-winged devil', but without the wings. There's also a cross-section drawing of the creature, showing its internal organs in detail. The humans won't understand a thing, but Seonghwa knows a chiropteran's anatomy well.

"What is that thing?" Hyunggu asks. "Some kind of joke chart?"

"I don't wanna know, but fuck, I wanna get out of here." Elkie says, tugging on his arm.

"I'll take a picture of this, then we leave." Hyunggu said, whipping his phone out and snapping a photo of the chart. "There, done. Let's leave."

Just as they were about to get out of the room, they hear footsteps approaching.

Seonghwa hears other things. ' _Around... 6 of them. I can probably take them on.'_

He immediately shuts the door, earning confused looks from his friends. Right. His friends, whom he must protect from those creatures. Still, he keeps his head down so they can't see his luminescent eyes.

"Are you still in there, kids? Time to leave." the guard called out.

"Okay sir! We'll just take some photos!" Hyunggu says.

"Hey Seonghwa, why'd you close the door?" Yeeun asked.

"They're... going to harm us." Seonghwa said, raising his head.

All of them let out collective gasps and Elkie drops Sakura's phone at the sight of Seonghwa's blue eyes seemingly glowing through the darkness. Everyone except Wooseok backs away from him.

"What... what is that...?" Sakura backs into Yuto, who holds her protectively. "Why are your eyes glowing?! What are you?!"

"I'll explain later." Seonghwa replies. "But I want you to stay here and barricade the door. Unless it's me, don't let them in, okay?"

"What are you?!" Hyunggu demands. "You... you're not human, are you?!"

Seonghwa shakes his head. "I'm not. But I'm going to protect you. So stay in here and wait for me." he said, removing his mask.

Yuto shines a light at him and everyone can clearly see his long fangs peeking out of his full lips.

Sakura screams. She bolts out of Yuto's arms, pushes Seonghwa out of the way, and opens the door, intending to get out as fast as she can.

**⚠️ Blood and Gore ⚠️  
⚠️ Character Death ⚠️**

...But she barely got the door open when a large clawed hand grabs her by the neck and yanks her out of the room. Seonghwa kicks the door closed, trapping another clawed hand between the door and the doorframe.

The arm is trapped up to the elbow and is wildly flailing, scratching at the air until Seonghwa grabs it by the wrist. The creature digs its lengthy claws into Seonghwa's arm and rips his flesh open and the blonde winces in pain.

More creatures pile behind the door, and it's taking all of Seonghwa's strength to keep it shut.

Wooseok and Yuto regain their senses and help Seonghwa pin the door closed. Elkie is too stunned to move, but Yeeun is shielding her friend behind her while looking for something to use as a weapon.

The short-haired girl sees a wooden chair that looks like it might fall apart. She and Hyunggu seem to have the same idea, as they both drop to their knees and try to pull the chair's legs apart. Hyunggu is stronger so he was able to rip the poorly-nailed chair leg off, and helps Yeeun with hers.

Sakura's agonized screams fill the air along with the sounds of inhuman creatures growling as they rip flesh and bones apart. In reality, it must have been a few seconds at most but to the students at the other side of the door, it will be a sound they'll never forget.

"I'm going to break the arm so you can shut the door. Can you two hold the door long enough for me to do that?" Seonghwa hissed, looking at Wooseok and Yuto.

"Leave it to us." Wooseok replied. Tears pouring from his eyes, Yuto nods.

Hyunggu, who didn't hear the instruction, began to whack the hand that was hurting Seonghwa, but it had the opposite effect and the creature only dug its claws deeper into the blonde's flesh.

"Stop it! You're hurting me!!" Seonghwa yells. In his frustration, the blonde snaps the creature's arm from the elbow, and they manage to fully close the door. But for how long?

The blonde rips the clawed hand from the forearm with a wince.

"Fuck, Seonghwa." Yeeun growls at the sight of blood dripping from the blonde's arm. She grabs a handkerchief from her pocket and rushes to bandage the wound.

Seonghwa mutters a quick thanks before leaning his weight against the door to help the other boys keep it shut. The chiropterans outside are piling up, and with a fresh meal of human blood and flesh - _Sakura_ \- the creatures are in a frenzied state.

"Fuck... what the fuck is happening...?" Elkie murmurs to herself. "What the fuck are we going to do...?"

"I don't fucking know, but I'm not going to fucking die here." Yeeun spat. "We got our asses in this mess, so we ought to get out of it."

"But how?!" Hyunggu cries. "Sakura is fucking dead! Fucking monsters are outside the door! How much longer do you think we can keep them out?!"

"Leave it to me." Seonghwa says, breathing heavily. His body isn't healing yet; he needs blood, but he can fight. "I should have told you sooner. I'm sorry. Blame me for everything."

"You knew?!" Hyunggu demands.

Seonghwa nods. "I had a hunch when you told me about the bat-winged devil. I confirmed my suspicions when we got near the building."

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Hyunggu accuses, pointing a finger at him.

Seonghwa turns to face him and the human backs away in fear. "Would you believe me if I told you?" he inquires.

"If you showed us your fangs and glowing eyes, maybe." Yeeun responds. "Okay vampire boy, you could have prevented this mess, now help us get out of it."

Seonghwa nods, drops his backpack on the floor, and puts his phone in his back pocket.

"Can I borrow someone's phone?" he asked, holding his good hand out. Yeeun wordlessly hands her phone to him and Seonghwa inputs Polaris' hotline number, then he hands it back to her.

"Try to contact this number. If they respond, tell them I called them here." Seonghwa instructs and turns to Wooseok and Yuto. "On my signal, release the door. I'm going out there."

"You're crazy!" Wooseok exclaims. "You'll die out there!"

Seonghwa raises his uninjured hand in front of his face and his fingernails subtly extend until they're about an inch long and tapers into a sharp tip. "These things are sharp." he said.

"Take this." Yeeun says, handing the broken chair leg to him, and Seonghwa gratefully takes it. "I don't care that you have sharp nails, don't fight those monsters unarmed."

The blonde just nods in her direction, but it's not enough for Yeeun. She walks up to him, grabs his face between her hands and forces him to look her in the eye. Seonghwa's brilliant blue eyes, which glow in the darkness, lock into hers. Yeeun sees fear, frustration, grief, and regret mixed in them.

"Don't fucking die." she said firmly.

"I _can't_ die." Seonghwa replies with a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. "Now then... On the count of 3..."

Hyunggu braces himself against the door, taking Seonghwa's place.

"3..."

Wooseok nods curtly.

"2..."

Yuto sucks in a breath.

"1..."

Yeeun closes her eyes, unable to see him go.

With startling speed, Seonghwa bolts out the door and grabs the neck of the nearest corrupted chiropteran. His sharpened nails effortlessly sink into the sallow skin and he tears out its throat, spraying blood on the door behind him. The creature falls with a strangled sound and he just realizes it's the one whose arm he tore off.

"One down." Seonghwa says, looking at the 5 remaining corrupted chiropterans. As mindless as they are, the creatures have primal instincts that guide them to survive. He better get rid of them before their 'kill all state is activated.

_Go, my precious little flower. It's your time to shine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> glowing eyes ups their creepy factor (such as saya and diva in blood +), since vampires in modern media are usually portrayed as more sexy than scary (thanks twilight), and i personally like my vampires to be less like a blood-sucking sex bomb and more like the nightmarish creatures that they used to be


	5. Vampire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> surprise! seonghwa is a vampire!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: blood & gore, minor character death

**⚠️Blood and Gore⚠️**

**⚠️Character Death⚠️**

Seonghwa stands off against 5 chiropterans. They were once human, but after their horrid transformation, their lumbering forms are at least 6 feet tall, with pig-like snouts, lipless mouths filled with sharp, jagged teeth, and large, glassy, red eyes glowing in the darkness of the derelict building's lobby. Their gangly limbs and skeletal upper body have bonelike protrusions. Knobby warts and boils filled with foul-smelling blood and puss litter their torso and their stomach is bloated, sallow skin with purplish veins covering their entire body. Their stringy hair is falling off their scalps and some have several bald patches.

Though their ability to think is limited, the creatures are strangely good at self-preservation and are known to go berserk if it means saving their skin. After witnessing the death of one of their own, the rest of the chiropteran backed away, recognizing him as a threat. Seonghwa allows himself a split second to look at the remains of his classmate.

Laid on the floor is the mutilated body of Sakura. Parts of her neck and shoulder have been ripped off, her limbs are snapped and bent in awkward angles, and internal organs spilling out of her abdominal cavity. Teeth and claws tore her clothes and body apart though she hasn't been completely dismembered yet. The bloody mess that became of his classmate is unsightly, and Seonghwa wishes she didn't suffer such a fate. But he can save the tributes for later, now he has to avenge her.

_'The two guards aren't here. Where are they?'_ Seonghwa dreads the thought of a sneak attack or reinforcements (he definitely sensed more than 6 when they came here), but he has to deal with these things first.

Two chiropteran lunges at him at the same time and Seonghwa was about to dodge if a third one didn't come up his side. He reacts quickly - he kicks the one to his side, the force from his kick sending it flying across the lobby, bats away the faster of the two with the chair leg that Yeeun gave him, making it fly towards the reception desk and finally, swiping his claw against the third one's neck, ripping out their jugular veins and arteries. Blood squirts out like a fountain as the chiropteran's head snaps back, and it gurgles on its own blood as Seonghwa kicks it away.

He turns his attention to the other 2 that didn't attack him. Swinging his makeshift bat, Seonghwa hits one chiropteran's head. Its eyes are ejected from its sockets and blood sprays out of its snout as the wooden chair leg bashes through its skull. Despite being a blunt weapon, Seonghwa's vampiric strength enables it to cuts through the top of the chiropteran's head like a sword. The other chiropteran barely got the chance to react before it meets the same fate. Both of them fall in a heap at Seonghwa's feet.

_'Two left.'_

The one he kicked is up and about and is running towards him, so Seonghwa meets with a charge of his own, he ducks as soon as he's close enough, and plunges the pointier end of the chair leg into its bloated abdomen. Side-stepping to avoid a shower of guts, Seonghwa slices the chiropteran's stomach open, sending blood and its partially-fused organs flying through the air. The creature wails in agony as it drops to the floor, and out of mercy, Seonghwa stomps hard on its head, killing it instantly.

_'Last one.'_

The chiropteran he batted earlier shambles towards him. His strike knocked away part of its skull, leaving its brain partially exposed and its eye hanging off its face. Seonghwa doesn't waste time and charges it, but the chiropteran meets him halfway. The blonde thrusts his clawed hand into its sternum, caving its chest with the force of the impact. His claws sink into the thin, sallow skin, closes his fingers around the chiropteran's sternum, and yanks his arm back, tearing part of its ribcage. Then, he immediately stabs its exposed heart with his makeshift weapon.

The chiropteran falls with a bloody gurgle and Seonghwa is tempted to heave out a sigh, but the battle isn't done yet. He has to find the two officers first before he can allow his friends out of the room. Closing his eyes, he uses his enhanced hearing and smell to locate the other chiropteran in the area. He finds 16 in the basement and curses when he remembers what they talked about earlier - at least _20_ people went missing here.

_'All of them were turned into chiropteran.'_ He killed 6, leaving 14, but including the 2 guards, so there must be 16 left.

_'They must be wrangling the rest of them. I can't imagine controlling all those monsters.'_ He hopes one of his friends was able to contact Polaris so they can send back-up.

_Ping!_

Seonghwa is mildly startled by his message alert tone and pulls his phone out to see it. He doesn't notice the subtle movement of Sakura's corpse on the ground.

**From: Uncle Sungjae**

Please don't tell me you decided to investigate on your own... did you?

Ok since you're not replying I assume you did

I just got a call from Polaris and they told me to save your ass so I can confirm that you're just as reckless as your mother

*I meant Ms. Bora since she's technically your mother figure*

_'Ms. Bora... should I have texted her? I feel like a bad son for not texting mom... Wait... She's not actually my mom... Is she...?'_

Shaking his head, he pockets his phone and makes his way into the room, avoiding looking at Sakura's body... which turned out to be a mistake.

Seonghwa bit back a scream as the newly-created chiropteran's claws sink into the back of his left leg. Looking behind him, he sees that Sakura has rolled onto her stomach and is looking up at him through a veil of stringy black hair.

_'They injected her corpse with venom. Sick bastards.'_

Her transformation isn't complete yet but her lips are beginning to recede and her glassy eyeballs are popping out of their sockets. The injuries she sustained from the attack that ended her life haven't healed; her legs are still broken and blackened blood is pouring out of her mouth from having her neck ripped out. The claws buried in Seonghwa's leg are slightly blunt so they didn't pierce as far into his flesh.

"I'm sorry." Seonghwa whispers, pulling his leg back and dislodging her claws. He whimpers a little as blood begins to drip from his wounds and wobbles a bit as he turns to face her and, with a heavy heart, brings his weapon down on her head.

As if her previous mutilation wasn't enough, the sheer force behind his strike crushed the upper part of her skull completely, spilling blood and brain, some of which got on his pants.

Seonghwa sighs regretfully as he limps away from her corpse and knocks on the door to the doctor's office, his left leg and the wounds on his right forearm throbbing painfully. Yeeun wrapped a handkerchief around his arm to stop the bleeding, but he hasn't had fresh blood in a while so it's taking longer for his body to heal.

_Why don't you take a sip from one of your friends, little flower?_

_'I can't do that...'_ Seonghwa argues with the voice in his head again.

_You know you'll be overwhelmed if you continue to fight. Sungjae may not arrive in time, little flower._

Seonghwa knows the voice is right. He can't fight that many chiropterans on his own and while he trusts his 'uncle' Sungjae to get here fast, there's a chance they may arrive too late.

_Of course, you'll survive, but what about your friends? They're easy prey for chiropteran. You can Sire them. Those two big boys will be perfect Chevalier. If they're really your friends, they'll understand, little flower._

_'How do you expect me to turn them? I don't have the proper equipment.'_ Though Seonghwa already knows what the answer is and he doesn't like it.

_You'll have to do it as they did in the Silla dynasty, little flower. Don't worry, your blood is very tasty._

~ **A few minutes earlier** ~

Yeeun attempts to call the number that Seonghwa gave her, but her phone signal flickers. Just as she gets through, the call would get cut off due to bad reception. It's frustrating her to no end; Sakura is definitely dead, and Seonghwa is some kind of vampiric creature, and he's fighting the monsters who killed Sakura.

They're trapped in a dark, smelly, dusty, and moldy room in a rotting building, Wooseok and Yuto are holding the door closed just in case some of those creatures get past Seonghwa. Hyunggu is exploring the room, using his own phone as a flashlight, looking for a way out.

There's an air vent, but it's too small even for the girls. The room is mostly bare, aside from a desk, a heavy metal file cabinet, a leather office chair, a wooden chair that they dismantled (to be used as weapons), and an examination table with a moldy cushion that Hyunggu moved to the farthest side of the room (along with the monster's dismembered arm that Seonghwa snapped off).

"Hello — _bzzz_ — Polaris Social — _bzz_ — Services. — _bzzz_ — What can I — _bzz_ — do for you?" the girl on the other side of the phone asks.

"Park Seonghwa told me to call you. We're in Dalchae Veterinary Clinic. Monsters are attacking us. We locked ourselves in a room while Seonghwa is fighting them." Yeeun says quickly.

"I see. — _bzzz_ — Please tell me — _bzzz_ — your exact location for — _bzzzzzz_ —" and it gets cut off again.

Yeeun looks at her phone screen - the battery is 15% on low power mode, and her reception is back to 0 bars. "Fuck, someone gimme a phone so I can call these fuckers and get the fuck out of here!!" she turns to Elkie, who is hiding under the desk.

"Elkie! Give me your phone so we can call these fuckers!" Yeeun roars.

Elkie jumps in shock, knocking her head on the desk. She groans in pain and crawls out of her hiding place. The girl hands her phone to Yeeun, who snatches it rather violently and begins dialing the number Seonghwa gave her. Elkie gulps and slowly stands up, wondering what she could do to help.

Perhaps she can find a weapon in case they have to fight their way out?

She looks at the desk and tries to pull open the drawer and it slides open with no resistance, but the only source of light is two phone screens and Yuto's Docomo phone flashlight so she can't see much.

Elkie bravely sticks her hand into the drawer, expecting to find something gross, but instead finds a bunch of books and what seems to be an envelope. She takes them out of curiosity.

Two books, one brown envelope, and a syringe filled with a yellowish liquid. Not the most useful stuff, but from the limited illumination, she reads the title of the first book. Elkie understands enough English to know what it says.

**Medical Practices of Vampir, Dhampir and Chiropteran Volume I**

**1892 Edition**

**Dr. Solomon Goldschmidt**

"Hey, Hyunggu, can I borrow your phone?" Elkie asked, dusting the old book. "I found something."

Hyunggu, who was checking out the file cabinet, turns to her and sees Elkie flipping the book open. "What's that?" he asked.

Elkie shows the book to him and points at the title.

Hyunggu wordlessly hands his phone to her. Elkie turns his phone's flashlight on and reads the first chapter, which details the basic anatomy of 'vampir' and 'chiropteran'.

_Vampir, otherwise known as vampire or vampyre, are humanoid creatures who came into being around 2000 B.C. in Babylonia and were originally known as 'ekimmu'. Two bloodlines of true vampir exist - the Blessed Ones and the Cursed Ones. The Blessed Ones (Sophia's Children) have a Halo around the pupil and they descended from Sophia, the Angel of wisdom, and Haniel, the Angel who guards the Tree of Life. Their irises are usually light in color (blue, green, grey) though there are Blessed Ones with brown eyes. The Cursed Ones (Lilith's Children) have the Mark of Lilith around the pupil and they descended from Lilith, the first woman, and Samael, a fallen angel. Typically, their eyes will be red, though some have brown or amber irises..._

Elkie paused for a moment. This book is far too supernatural to be a scientific manual, Biblical angels, and all that. However, she can't think of any scientific explanation for the existence of these creatures. Based on what the book says, Seonghwa must be one of Sophia's Children if he has blue eyes.

_Throughout their long and secretive history, vampir have managed to amalgamate with humans and have built their own unique society within..._

The fact that they can have "normal-colored" eyes is scary because anyone can potentially be a vampire.

_Despite exhibiting secondary sexual characteristics, all vampir are hermaphrodites (see Chapter 5: Vampir Reproduction). Vampir can reproduce with humans of a compatible gender, and their offspring are called dhampir..._

Elkie finds herself thinking perverse thoughts all of a sudden. She shakes her head; thoughts of what Seonghwa has between his legs are a topic for a different time.

_'[ **WARNING!** Vampir have hypnotic powers. Do not stare eye to eye with a vampir without using special lenses that prevent hypnosis. (see Chapter 16: Vampiric Powers)]'_

That explains why Seonghwa, who seems to have good eyesight, wears glasses. Elkie skips more blocks of text until she finds what she was looking for.

_Chiropterans are hematophagous creatures created from humans through the injection of vampiric venom, which is produced by vampir and dhampir. Vampir venom is more potent than dhampir venom, the transformation takes between 5 to 10 minutes and requires less venom [42]. When using dhampir venom, it takes between 2 to 4 hours..._

_A chiropteran created before death is known as 'moroi', or uncorrupted chiropteran, while those created after death are called 'strigoi', or corrupted chiropteran [46]. The main difference between the two is that moroi retain their human intelligence while strigoi have their mental capacity reduced to primal survival instincts..._

_More often than not, strigoi are heavily deformed and have no sense of judgment. Though numerous studies have been made to rehabilitate strigoi [54], the universal conclusion is that their mental capacity is too low to understand instructions and therefore, it is recommended to euthanize strigoi as soon as they are found..._

"Shit." Elkie curses. "Yeeun! You're calling the cops, right?" she asked, turning to her friend.

"I'm calling Polaris." Yeeun replied, raising Elkie's phone above her head to get a signal. "They know what's going on. I just gotta hold the call long enough to tell them to send people here."

"Tell them it's strigoi chiropteran." Elkie said, showing the book to Yeeun. She points at the illustration of the book, which looks the same as the one on the wall.

Yeeun takes a closer look at the page Elkie showed her. "I can't understand anything, but I think it means 'kill this shit'." she says, noticing how ugly the 'strigoi' look next to the 'vampir', the 'dhampir', and the 'moroi'. She tries again, and thankfully, it works.

"Hello, Polaris Social Services. What can I do for you?"

"Park Seonghwa told me to call you. We're at Dalchae Veterinary Clinic and we're being attacked by strigoi chiropteran." Yeeun says as calmly as possible.

"Can you give me your exact location?"

"First floor, Dalchae Veterinary Clinic, Jeonja 2-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do. There are 6 of us, Seonghwa is injured and one of our friends is dead." Yeeun replied.

"Okay, the Gyeonggi-do team will come from Jukjeon 1-dong in Yongin. Please expect them to arrive within 15 to 20 minutes. Depending on the traffic conditions, please expect some delay." the Polaris operator said.

"15 to 20 minutes, traffic, delay...? Isn't there a nearer team available?" Elkie grabs her phone, asking the operator desperately. "Seonghwa is fighting alone, we don't know how long he can hold on."

"The Gyeonggi-do team has been dispatched. I'll transfer you to Polaris' field agent stationed in Jowon 2-dong— _bzzzzzz_ —" and the line cuts off.

Elkie and Yeeun curse loudly at the same time at their terrible luck. Just as they were about to call again, Seonghwa knocks on the door.

"It's me, open up." the blonde says.

Hyunggu opens the door without checking to see if it's really him and Yuto bonks him with his flashlight as if to tell him how stupid he is. Yeeun gets to her feet, ready to defend Elkie, who shines her phone light at the figure entering the room.

Thankfully, it's _really_ Seonghwa. Dark red splotches are splattered all over his clothes, concentrated on his right sleeve, and the handkerchief around his injured arm is thoroughly soaked with blood. His glowing blue eyes pierce through the darkness, reminding them that their friend isn't as human as he looks.

Yeeun is almost relieved to see him, but the pinched look on his face and the way he leans on the doorframe concerns her. Her eyes drift down and she stifles a gasp when she sees that his left pant leg is torn up and bloodstained.

"You're hurt." she moves towards him, but Wooseok is nearer, and the tall boy gathers the blonde in his arms, not minding that his own clothes are soiled.

~

Seonghwa is tempted to relax in Wooseok's strong arms, but there are more pressing matters to handle. With Wooseok's help, he limps into the room and Hyunggu closes the door behind them, locking it. Since Seonghwa came back inside, it's probably not safe outside.

Wooseok easily lifts Seonghwa onto the examination table so they can tend to his injury. Yeeun kneels and gently rolls his pant leg up, cursing at the sight of seven puncture wounds on the back and sides of his left leg.

"What happened out there, Hwa? Are they all dead?" Hyunggu asked, kneeling next to Yeeun. He removes his own necktie and clumsily wraps it around the blonde's leg to stop the bleeding.

Seonghwa shook his head, wincing when Hyunggu tightened his necktie. "I killed the ones here, but there are more in the basement. I can't fight all of them alone." he replied.

"We'll fight alongside you." Yuto interrupts. "How can we kill those things? Do we need sharp weapons? Can blunt weapons kill them?"

"Humans can't do much against chiropteran without a proper weapon. If you want to fight them... you have to _become_ them." Seonghwa says, looking at Yuto with his glowing blue eyes.

"If you're going to turn me into a chiropteran, you better do it now." Yuto said, his voice strangely calm.

"I can turn you into a chiropteran if that's what you really want, but the transformation process is painful and irreversible. Once you become a chiropteran, your life will never be the same. Polaris isn't just an orphanage - all of us are blood-suckers. They have agents who help recently-turned chiropteran adapt to their new life." Seonghwa explained.

Yuto looks at Wooseok and nods curtly at him. The tallest boy takes Seonghwa's uninjured hand and gives it a squeeze, making the blonde turn to him.

"We trust you, Seonghwa-yah." Wooseok said.

_Go on, little flower. Give them the blessing of blood._

Seonghwa nods, realizing that Yuto and Wooseok made their decision. The rest of the group also understood silently that this is the only way for them to survive this ordeal. Seonghwa raises his injured hand and extends his claws, then digs them into his palm.

"Our venom is in our plasma, so you need to drink my blood in order to become a chiropteran." he explains, holding out his bleeding palm to Yuto.

"My venom is very potent; you only need a few mouthfuls of my blood to turn into a chiropteran." he adds. "It's easier if you have a cup. The lid of a Thermos flask should be enough."

Yuto hands his flashlight to Hyunggu and digs into his backpack to pull out his flask. He unscrews the lid and walks over to the blonde. Yuto takes Seonghwa's hand and gently squeezes it, milking the blood from his palm while Hyunggu shines the light at them. They're surprised when a copious amount comes out, nearly filling the cup, but Yuto squeezes again and fills it up. Without another word, he downs the cup in one big gulp and passes the cup to whoever takes it. A big hand grabs the cup and Wooseok does what Yuto did, milking blood from Seonghwa's palm, filling the cup quickly.

"Tastes like strawberry milk." Wooseok comments, putting the cup on the table.

In less than a minute, Seonghwa bled enough to fill 2 small cups. Yeeun would have found it morbidly comical if they weren't in immediate threat of death.

"What are we going to do now?" Yuto asked, confused by the pleasant taste as well.

"We go out. If you guys transform here, you might lose control and attack the others." Seonghwa replies. "Don't worry, I'm your Sire, you can't attack me even if you tried." he adds when it looks like Yeeun was about to protest.

Elkie looks at the book's Table of Contents and hastily flips through the pages so she can read about chiropteran transformation. Yeeun is holding the phone light for her, but her eyes are focused on Seonghwa, noticing how weak the blonde looks now.

It may be the lighting, but Seonghwa is paperwhite at this point, his lips as pale as a wilted rose petal, with just a hint of pink on the center of his bottom lip. Moreover, she notices a silver halo around his pupil, glowing faintly. She has to ask him about this later.

"So the three of you are going to kill those fuckers?" Hyunggu asked, brows furrowed in worry.

"We'll just hold them off. The rescue should arrive in 15 minutes, the guards won't be able to wrangle all of the chiropterans here within that time." Seonghwa answers.

"W-What if they do?" Hyunggu stutters, envisioning the scenario.

"I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, so don't worry." Seonghwa replies with a wink.

"Does it involve drinking the blood of one of your Charges?" Elkie asked, her eyes still glued to the book. "Cause this book says if a vampire creates a chiropteran with their blood, they are known as the 'Sire' or 'Dame', and the human-turned-chiropteran is called a 'Charge'."

Seonghwa nods. "Yup, I'm Yuto and Wooseok's Sire now. If we get overwhelmed, I could drink their blood - just a bit, not all of it - and I'll be really strong, enough to defeat 10 chiropterans on my own." he explains.

The others stare at him, processing the information. Wooseok looks a bit scared at the thought of being turned into a food source, but Yuto seems fine with it.

Seonghwa has the audacity to feel shy under their gaze. "Um, yeah, so I and my Cheva—er, Charges should get out before they transform." then he turns to Yuto and Wooseok. "It'll take about 1 or 2 minutes for you two to feel the effects of my venom and 5 minutes to fully transform into a chiropteran. As I said, it's safer for you two to transform outside."

Wooseok nods and helps the blonde get down from the table and half-carries him out the door. Yuto shuts the door behind them and gives Hyunggu a hard look.

Hyunggu nods, knowing what Yuto wanted to say.

~

Outside the relative comfort of the room, the sight and stench of rapidly rotting chiropteran corpses and Sakura's mangled body nearly makes the two tall boys gag. Yuto kneels beside Sakura, intending to give her one last embrace, but he can't find himself to believe this... mess of blood and bones... _was_ Sakura.

Wooseok holds Seonghwa close, surveying the clinic's lobby. There are six dead chiropterans here, torn apart by the vampire's claws. This is the first time they're seeing the creatures that killed Sakura, and they're nothing short of grotesque.

Perhaps he's transforming because the noxious smell of pus and blood isn't bothering him anymore. It hasn't been long since he drank Seonghwa's blood, but he already feels different. Perhaps it's just a psychological thing.

Looking down at the blonde in his arms, Wooseok notices how fragile Seonghwa looks compared to him and Yuto. If someone as frail as the blonde can kill those things, then he and Yuto should be able to do it just fine.

_**Wooseok will do anything to protect his Sire.** _

"They're near, coming in from the front entrance. Give or take 2 minutes and you'll be fighting those bastards who killed Sakura." Seonghwa says, turning towards the entrance.

"That long? How slow are they?" Yuto asked.

"Oh, they're fast. Corrupted chiropterans find their prey through scent so the guards are probably dragging them with chains and ropes so they don't run around the neighborhood." Seonghwa replies. "Just enough time for you to transform. It's starting, so brace yourselves." he says, pulling away from Wooseok.

Wooseok was about to ask what Seonghwa meant when suddenly, a cold chill spread from his stomach throughout his entire body, like his blood was being replaced with ice water, freezing his muscles and nerves. He collapses on the dirty floor, the coldness in his core intensifying as if his internal organs were frostbitten. Wooseok gags, spitting out a mouthful of slimy blood and... guts?

His horror peaked when _something_ moved inside his stomach. It twisted around, expanding and contracting, then attaches to the wall of his stomach. Wooseok clutched his middle, cold sweat beading on his forehead, he was too pained to scream. Behind him, he can hear Yuto groaning.

Wooseok finally screamed when he felt his muscles get ripped from within by what feels like ice-cold razors. They were torn to fibrous strands, stabbed with a million frozen needles from all angles.

He scratched the floor as he writhed, his nails were peeling back, exposing a bloody nail bed. His tendons and ligaments, which were torn apart, were reattached with a cold gelatinous substance seeping between the crevices of his broken body.

Wooseok can even feel it in his _bones_. They cracked, expanded, morphed, and reformed, all in a span of seconds. The pain was so unbearable, Wooseok threw up, but blood, bits of his digestive tract, and some of his teeth spewed from his mouth. Before he can even wonder, a drilling pain on his gums made him howl.

A new set of pointed teeth erupts from his bleeding gums. Long, pointed, slightly curved claws grew in place of his nails. On his feet as well, he can feel his toenails being forced out of his toes and replaced with claws.

All the while, his body temperature plummeted past zero, Wooseok felt like he was left in an icy cavern in Siberia to freeze to death.

Yuto still whimpered behind him, but he heard rustling as the Japanese boy was getting up.

"Hwa... it's done... right?" Yuto asked, addressing the vampire.

Wooseok opened his eyes, but his vision was blanketed with red. Were his eyeballs bleeding? He honestly didn't know. At this point, he might as well die from the pain.

"Not quite. You've passed the first stage of the transformation. In a few more minutes, you'll feel your body changing subtly following the internal transformation." Seonghwa replied. "When you consume your first dose of fresh blood, you'll complete the transformation. The best blood to consume is mine since I'm your Sire, but we'll do that after we finish these bastards off."

Upon hearing the voice of his Sire, Wooseok perked up. He blinked away the bloody tears that he didn't know he was shedding. With jittery hands, Wooseok forced himself to get off the floor into a sitting position.

What felt like an eternity of pain, lasted merely a minute.

Being a chiropteran, he can see better in the dark compared to humans. He can smell better too because Seonghwa's blood is absolutely delicious. His Sire turns to him and the blonde is smiling serenely.

"You did so well. I'm proud of you." Seonghwa says, walking over to the taller boy. He kneels down and cups Wooseok's face, brushing away the blood on his cheek.

"My Sire..." Wooseok whispers, leaning into the touch. "Thank you for blessing me with your blood."

The blonde just smiles and helps him stand up. Wooseok wobbles a bit but Seonghwa steadies him. His body is different; it feels bigger, a lot stronger, and... hungry.

_**For blood.** _

_**For Seonghwa's blood.** _

"How do you feel? Are you ready to fight?" Seonghwa asked, addressing both of them. The chiropterans are seconds away. Had Wooseok and Yuto taken longer to transform, he would have to fight them alone while protecting his Chevaliers. Thankfully, the two are ready to fight.

Yuto nods, standing before Seonghwa, shielding the blonde from the view ahead. Wooseok, who is taller than Yuto, sees past his shoulders.

The chiropterans arrived, and so did the guards. Yuto and Wooseok feel a surge of adrenaline - or the vampiric equivalent - course through them.

_**They have to protect Seonghwa.** _

Corrupted chiropterans are nightmarish. They're in various stages of hunger — some look like they've fed a few days ago while others are salivating at the sight of fresh meat. If not for the chains holding them by the neck, they would've run straight at the three.

When the guards take notice of the towering Chevaliers, they immediately let go of the chains, ordering the chiropteran to attack. They flee as soon as they can to gather the next batch.

Six chiropterans charged them all at once, but Seonghwa and his Chevaliers were faster.

Yuto squared off with two at once, thrusting his clawed hands into their chest, shattering their sternum and ribcage like a pick through an ice sheet. He pierced deep enough into their chest cavity that he can grasp their spines. He retracted his arms, ripping their spinal columns from the front. Blood and gore sprayed at him, drenching his face and shirt.

Wooseok isn't as efficient as Yuto. A chiropteran scratches his forearm and he reels back, clutching his wounded limb to his chest. Seonghwa rushes to help Wooseok. Light on his feet and quick as a sparrow, Seonghwa moves in front of him and roundhouse kicks the chiropteran, sending it across the room, but the other one behind it swipes its claws at him.

Seonghwa, weakened by bloodloss, reacts a second too late. The chiropteran's hooked claws dig into his left shoulder and tears out a chunk of flesh. The blonde screams in pain, crumpling to the floor and clutching his injured shoulder. The wound is so deep his scapula is almost exposed.

_'Why am I such a dumb fighter?'_ he whimpers, cursing his own stupidity and crappy fighting abilities.

_I think it's about time Dami teaches you a thing or two about fighting, little flower. I should've been there to protect you, but me being there just increases your chances of getting hurt..._ The voice in his head sounds pensive but there's a hint of guilt in its tone.

Wooseok lets out an inhuman roar and swings his muscular arm at the chiropteran who hurt his Sire. The sheer force behind his strike is so immense that he knocked its head cleanly off, the fragile bones in its neck snapped like twigs. Yuto stomped at the downed chiropteran's head, crushing its skull under his shoes. The two chiropterans unaccounted for were easily dispatched by the enraged Chevaliers.

Heads rolled in front of Seonghwa. The vampire looked up, vision hazy with pain. Wooseok immediately pulls him into his arms in a protective hug and Yuto offers his hand. It hasn't been long since their transformation but they already know what to do.

_They're **your** Chevaliers, little flower. It's ingrained into their cells._

Seonghwa gently takes Yuto's hand and presses a chaste kiss to his wrist, then sinks his fangs, puncturing a hole in the taller boy's vein. Delicious blood spills into Seonghwa's mouth and the vampire greedily drinks it all up.

Yuto looks dazed at the sight of his Sire feeding on him. Seonghwa's full, plush lips are petal-soft against Yuto's skin as he laps at the blood pouring from the wounds in his wrist. The blonde only took enough to accelerate the regeneration of his wounds. He gives Yuto's wrist one last lick, sealing the wounds.

"What are we going to do now, Hwa? Do we wait for the guards to bring them here or do we attack them?" Yuto asked.

"We can't leave the others in the room and it's dumb to barge into a basement filled with hungry chiropterans. Assuming 20 people went missing, we already killed 12, so there are 8 left. The guards are probably going to take all of them here when they return... that is if they didn't flee." Seonghwa replies.

"If there are 8 left, we can probably take them all on." Yuto says. "I mean, we can handle 6 at once, 2 more shouldn't be that hard..."

"What about Yeeun, Elkie, and Hyunggu? What will happen to them if there are more chiropterans wandering around?" Seonghwa counters.

"Crap, I forgot about them." Yuto smacks himself. "Should we check on them?"

Before Seonghwa can reply, the door opens and Hyunggu sticks his head out. "Are you guys done? Is it safe to go out?" he asked.

Wooseok and Yuto turned to him. The scent of fresh blood coursing through Hyunggu's veins entices the newly-turned chiropteran.

_**They're hungry.** _

_**There are three defenseless humans in the room.** _

_**Bon appétit.** _

Seonghwa yells for his Chevaliers to stop, but due to their unrefined control over the instincts, they ignored his command. Newly-turned chiropterans are uncontrollable when exposed to humans or just about any non-chiropteran living creature.

Hyunggu didn't even get to scream when Wooseok's teeth chomped on his neck. The two tallest boys tackled him and began feasting on his blood. Elkie screamed in terror and Yeeun racked her brain for what to do. Fighting is useless, if she gets near, they'll just turn her into food. Running away means heading straight for the door, where Wooseok and Yuto are killing Hyunggu. The only hiding place is under the desk.

Yeeun pushes Elkie under the desk and crawls under. They can't fit inside, but she can hear Seonghwa yelling at Wooseok and Yuto to stop. Hopefully, he can stop them before Hyunggu dies for real.

Seonghwa attempts to pull his crazed Chevaliers away but they're like 2 inches taller, broader, and more muscular. Chevaliers are designed for combat, to defend their Sire, so it's hard for him to win over them with his own strength. He'll just turn Hyunggu into a chiropteran as well, that's the only way to save him. If he can just get these giants off him...

_They won't follow your command and they're too hungry to realize they're **eating** their friend... Sungjae is taking a little longer to arrive, and there are 8 chiropterans left to deal with. My poor little flower, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into...?_

Seonghwa, desperate to save Hyunggu, musters enough force to yank the tall Chevaliers away from him. He throws them back into the lobby and shuts the door behind him. As soon as they were out, Seonghwa kneels beside Hyunggu to check on him.

It's too late.

Hyunggu won't make it.

Yuto and Wooseok ripped his throat open.

They ate through his esophagus.

Even if he fed Hyunggu his blood, it's useless.

Hyunggu is _dying_.

Because he couldn't stop his Chevaliers in time.

His _friend_ is dying.

It's his fault.

Hyunggu is looking at him with the last light in his eyes.

Hyunggu smiles at Seonghwa, locking eyes with him.

"It's not your fault..."

A single tear falls from Seonghwa's eye.

Then the light fades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did anyone get the vampire academy and blood + reference?


	6. Bloodbath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's a bloodbath (not really)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: blood & gore

**5:32 p.m. | Kang Family House, Jeongja 1-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon**

Sangyeob called Ahyeon a few minutes ago, telling her that he's heading home from work and that Seonghwa went to Chong Elkie's house in Jeongja 2-dong. Usually, they don't let him wander around without Yeosang for his own safety, but his friend Hyunggu, who lives a few blocks away, assures them that 'only death will stop him from taking Seonghwa home'.

Besides, it's not that far from their house. They don't want to be overbearing, but Yubin reminded them to set a curfew for Seonghwa so he doesn't get careless and overexerts himself.

Yeosang, who usually walks home from school, arrived fifteen minutes earlier. He's used to seeing Seonghwa arrive later because Sangyeob insists on picking him up, though there are times when he has to work overtime, so Hyunggu escorts him home. Next year, when he's in high school, Yeosang will be the one to walk with his brother home.

Right now, he's lounging in the living room, flipping through the channels on TV while Ahyeon prepares bulgogi for dinner. On Saturdays and Sundays, when Seonghwa isn't in school and is feeling well, he'll help her around the kitchen. Yeosang loves his brother's cooking, almost as much as his mom's.

"Yeo, have you received a text from Seonghwa recently?" Ahyeon asks from the kitchen.

Yeosang checks his phone. No texts, but there are 13 KakaoTalk notifications from his friend Wooyoung.

"Nope." he replies, opening Wooyoung's messages.

"Do you know where his friend Chong Elkie lives?" Ahyeon asked again. She lets the beef marinate in a bowl and steps out of the kitchen to see him playing around with his phone.

"I don't know any of his friends except Hyunggu sunbae and the two big guys." Yeosang said, looking through his chat with Wooyoung. Instead of anything important, the idiot just sent him memes. He sighed and put his phone down on his lap.

"Isn't dad picking him up?" he asked, looking at his mom.

"No, your dad's heading home and he's tired. I was thinking maybe you can pick Hwa up from Elkie's house in case Hyunggu isn't with them." Ahyeon suggests, going back into the kitchen to check on the rice.

Yeosang hummed in an effort to hide his excitement. He hardly goes out since they adopted Seonghwa since he's busy 'bonding' with his brother. Wooyoung complains that Yeosang is ditching him.

"Yeah, sure. I'll text Hwa." Yeosang said, texting his brother. Normally, Yeosang sends plain text messages, but he adds emojis to entice Seonghwa into coming home sooner.

They haven't had 'private time' in a while...

He tapped 'Send' and ponders whether he should get ready now or wait for a few minutes for Seonghwa's reply. Yeosang has a bunch of cool shirts and worn-out jeans he can pair with his checkered Vans. He'll bring his skateboard and teach Seonghwa how to ride it at the park. He'll tell their parents that he spent some time with his brother's friends before they went home.

The thought of teaching Seonghwa how to ride a skateboard in the park is romantic. Maybe if the blonde gets good at skating, they can convince their parents to buy a cruiser for him so they can skate around and be lovey-dovey. He smiles to himself... before remembering they're supposed to be brothers (adoptive, but still...).

Yeosang watches some anime on TV while waiting for his brother's reply. It's a nice post-school activity, the only thing missing is a chicken sandwich and Seonghwa sitting next to him.

~

**5:43 p.m. | First Floor, Dalchae Veterinary Clinic, Jeongja 2-dong**

Yeeun walks solemnly towards the boys and sits next to Seonghwa. Elkie follows her and sits opposite them. The girls look at each other, then at Hyunggu, finally at Seonghwa. To say he's distraught is an understatement. They're both thinking of what to say, but words failed them. No word in their vocabulary would do justice to the pain they're feeling right now.

Elkie sniffles as Yeeun reaches for Hyunggu's face and closes his eyes for the last time. Even as he dies, Hyunggu managed one last smile to reassure them, and with his final words, he tried to absolve some of Seonghwa's guilt.

_The dead can't do more than be a reminder of how fickle life is, little flower. Speaking of time..._

"What time is it?" Seonghwa asked, his voice as low as a whisper. In the uncomfortable silence of the room, it was the loudest sound.

Yeeun checks Elkie's phone. "5:43... we've been out of school for less than an hour..." she replies. Just hours ago, the 7 of them were happily eating lunch in the canteen and talking about exploring Dalchae Clinic. Now, Hyunggu and Sakura are dead, Seonghwa is a vampire, Yuto and Wooseok are now chiropterans, and they're stuck here without help in sight.

"When did you call Polaris?" Seonghwa asked, turning to Yeeun. She almost cries too, the look on his face made her feel guilty too. She could've convinced Elkie and Hyunggu not to continue here...

Yeeun contains her emotions for now. She looks through Elkie's call log.

"5:32... it's been a while... but it hasn't been that long either..." Yeeun mutters, handing the phone back to Elkie. Hyunggu dropped his phone when Wooseok and Yuto jumped him, so she picks it up.

Seonghwa hums. "We just have to hold on a bit longer, they'll be here soon." he says, reaching for his own phone. Sparks of pain shot up his injured shoulder, but thanks to Yuto's blood, his wounds are healing. Yeeun doesn't miss his stifled groan, so she checks his back for anything that might've caused it.

"Fuck." Yeeun cursed, seeing blood on his shoulder. She shines Hyunggu's phone flashlight on it to get a better look.

Seonghwa's body is rapidly regenerating to fill a deep gouge on his shoulder. She watches in fascination as new skin regrows over the healed wound, making it disappear as if it was never there in the first place.

"We heal fast." Seonghwa says, checking his notifications. The first one is from Yeosang.

**Yeosang (2 new messages)**

**[5:34 p.m.]**

hey hwa 💕 i'll pick u up later so tell me when u ready to head home 😉 text 🍆 if 6 or 🍑 if 6;30 cuz we gotta be home by 7 😘

**[5:35 p.m.]**

btw hwahwa 💕💕 where ur friend's house at?

**Uncle Sungjae (1 new message)**

**[5:35 p.m.]**

we'll be there before 6

**Mama Bora (26 new messages)**

**[5:36 p.m.]**

WHY THE HELL DID YOU GO TO THE CLINIC WITHOUT LETTING US INVESTIGATE FIRST YOURE SO RECKLESS AND WHY DIDNT YOU TEXT ME IM YOUR MOM YOURE SUPPOSED TO TELL ME WHERE YOURE GOING IM GOING TO YONGIN TO GIVE YOU A PIECE OF MY MIND

**[5:39 p.m.]**

ANSWER YOUR PHONE OR YOULL BE IN TROUBLE THIS IS DAMIS FAULT SHE LETS YOU GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING NOW I HAVE TO DISCIPLINE YOU I SWEAR IF SINGNIE WAS HERE YOURE GONNA GET A SPANKING I DONT CARE HOW OLD YOU ARE YOURE STILL OUR CHILD

**Guardian Yubin (2 new messages)**

**[5:42 p.m.]**

I haven't called the Kangs yet. According to the call, one of your friends has died. I offer you my condolences. Sungjae's team is working with the local police to fabricate a story. As per your adoption agreement, chiropteran-related incidents will be disclosed to your parents.

**[5:42 p.m.]**

Please be safe.

_'Mom...? Singnie...?'_ Seonghwa suddenly feels dizzy. His vision swims and he holds onto Yeeun for support. The girls are asking him if he's okay, but he couldn't reply.

One of the seals Minji and Han Dong placed on Seonghwa's mind breaks, releasing a fragment of his true memory.

_Seonghwa finds himself back in the cold, white sand desert. He's surrounded by huge floating glass orbs that emit a faint blue light. In all his years dreaming of this desert, he's never reached this part before, so he curiously looks around the orbs. One of them hovers over to him and Seonghwa is compelled to touch it._

_A pale blue mist swirls inside the orb for a few seconds before materializing into a memory that he remembers clearly._

_They're in the living room of his childhood home. Little Hwa failed his math quiz, he scored 5 out of 10 but the passing score is 6. This is the first time in his 7 years that he failed an exam, and now the child is crying in his mother's arms while his dad pats his back comfortingly._

_That was the image ingrained into his mind. Then, a searing pain tears through his head like a hole was being drilled into his skull, making him close his eyes. When he opens them again, the memory is different._

_Little Hwa is still crying, but his mother and father aren't there. Instead, **Ms. Bora** is there, scolding him for failing an 'easy' test. **The Wolf** is also there, watching them with her trademark grin._

_"I-I'm s-sorry m-mom... I'll s-study b-better next t-time...!" Little Hwa sobs._

_"As you should!" Bora snaps. "We've been too lenient on you. I think it's time we impose stricter rules."_

_"Don't be too hard on our little flower." the Wolf says gently._

_Bora clicks her tongue and gives the Wolf a glare. "This is **your** fault! You're spoiling him! He's got no initiative to study cause he gets what he wants without working for it!"_

_The Wolf merely rolls her eyes. "I'm not as bad as Ji and Yooh. Now those two spoil the heck out of Yuyu."_

_"Dongie smacks the brat out of Yuyu so it's fine." Bora argues._

_Little Hwa looks up at his mom with puppy dog eyes. "A-Are you gonna hit me too?" he asked, bottom lip wobbling as more tears roll down his cheeks._

_Bora wipes his tears away and caresses his soft cheek. "No, sweetpea. We'll never hurt you." she reassures him._

_"Unless you do something that warrants a spanking, of course." the Wolf chirps, earning another glare from Bora._

_"Don't listen to Papa Singnie. We'll **never** hit you." Bora says, picking Little Hwa up and cuddling him on her lap._

_Singnie reaches over to pat Little Hwa on the head. "We'll get Gahyeonie to tutor you."_

_"Yeah, Gahyeonie is smart!" Bora exclaims._

_Little Hwa was about to say something, but Seonghwa is forcibly pulled out of the memory orb._

The Wolf's voice in his head chuckles nervously. _Sorry about that, little flower. Moving on..._

Seonghwa shakes his head, trying to make sense of the strange memory. Somehow it feels more real than his original memory. But it isn't. Ms. Bora and The Wolf can't be his real parents... can they?

"Are you okay?" Elkie asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You blacked out for a bit. How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy. But I'll be fine." Seonghwa replies. He sits up straighter and looks down on his phone.

"Well?" Yeeun asked, gesturing to his phone.

"Polaris said they'll be here before 6, and Ms. Bora is coming to the branch office in Yongin. We'll be sent there for treatment and our families will be informed. Don't worry about explaining anything to your families, Polaris will do it. We just need to survive." Seonghwa replied. For the hell of it, he decides to reply to Yeosang.

**To: Yeosang**

🍑 tian zhi tea house 💕 have some tea first u seem thirsty

Polaris will think of something to explain the situation to the humans so he can just direct Yeosang to have some tea at Elkie's grandma's shop.

He pockets his phone, but almost dropped it when his senses picked up something happening upstairs. It was happening so fast, he forgot about the disgusting smell upstairs. Yeeun puts a hand on his shoulder, opening her mouth to ask him, but he put a hand to his lips, signaling her to keep quiet.

Upstairs, he senses corrupted chiropterans being made by the dozens. He counted about 20. The revelation shocked him.

_'Were the 20 or so people that disappeared exploring the clinic different from the chiropterans in the basement? Were they killed and left to rot upstairs, only to be transformed now? Where do they even get the venom?'_ Seonghwa doesn't have time for questions. He has to get out now and see if his Chevaliers are okay.

There's a presence approaching them from the outside. He can't tell how many there are yet, but it's familiar.

"Hwa?" Yeeun began, keeping her voice low. "I hear something moving upstairs."

Seonghwa nodded. "Around 20. There are about 8 more left in the basement. Add the guards to the equation and we have 30 left to deal with."

"Fuck." Elkie cursed. "Maybe you should just turn us into chiropterans too. I mean, if you're okay with it. If you need blood, you can drink ours... then give us some of yours."

That's a viable option. Chevaliers release pheromones so their blood-siblings won't attack them even when they're hungry, but he'll be too weak after that.

"I can't spare another drop. Long explanation short, we drink the blood of others to hasten our metabolism, while our own blood has a component that heals our bodies at an accelerated pace. Yuto and Wooseok are different, their blood heals me because they're an 'extension' of me." Seonghwa explained.

Yeeun nods curtly. "I don't understand how your biology works, so I'll just believe what you say for now. If you think it'll be bad for you, then don't do it. But we need a back-up plan in case those fuckers break down the door."

Elkie's shoulders slump, looking down at Hyunggu again. Maybe if he was alive, he could think of something better?

"The only back-up plan is to fight, meaning we have to make improvised weapons." Seonghwa looks around the room and his eyes land on the examination table. "I can break that table's legs and shape it into a spike. Humans can kill strigoi by stabbing their hearts or head. Go for the eyes, since they glow in the dark." he suggests.

"A sound plan!" Yeeun exclaims, a bit too jumpy for her own good. "Now go on and do that while we... move Hyunggu to the side."

Seonghwa and Elkie nod, realizing they were casually talking around Hyunggu's body just moments ago. They feel worse but are more determined to get out of here alive. They'll grieve properly later.

The blonde goes to the examination table and snaps its legs off. He folds the tips of the long metal poles to shape them into something sharp that the girls can use to stab chiropterans with.

The girls drag Hyunggu's body to one side of the room as gently as they can. Elkie covers his neck with her handkerchief. This way they can pretend he's just sleeping. Reality will set in when it does.

"This will have to do." Seonghwa hands them the 'spears' he made, all four of them. The girls need it more than he does.

"When I go out there, move everything you can in front of the door. If the chiropterans scratch through the wood, just poke them with the spears." he instructed.

Yeeun nods, clutching the spear like a lifeline. "You're going now?" she asked when he moved to the door.

Seonghwa turns to her and is surprised when she's suddenly in front of him, her face inches away from his own.

Yeeun puts a hand on his nape and pulls him down for a kiss.

On the cheek.

"Don't die." Yeeun said. Her eyes are misty with unshed tears, but her voice is firm.

"I told you before. I _can't_ die." Seonghwa said, turning to the door and leaving them in the room.

~

**5:45 p.m. | Lobby**

⚠️ **Blood & Gore** ⚠️

Yuto and Wooseok are groveling on the floor, groaning in pain as their bodies transform into their full Chevalier forms. The way their insides are moving felt unnatural. It's like their organs were rearranging themselves. Their bones were doing things bones weren't supposed to. They were supposed to be inside the body, not ripping through their muscle and skin, and certainly not covering them like an exoskeleton.

Even their internal skeleton is morphing into something inhuman. Their hands were getting bigger, their fingers turning into something long and spindly. Their legs were getting longer and their feet were bursting out of their shoes. It also feels like they were developing additional joints in their fingers. They were coughing up their teeth as new ones grew in their place.

In short, everything _hurt_.

When Seonghwa sees them, he instantly wants to kick his stupid Chevaliers for disobeying him and killing Hyunggu. But the punishment can wait. He can sense chiropterans coming from upstairs and the basement.

The presence outside is getting closer. He can confirm that it's just one person, so it's most likely _not_ Sungjae.

_'Whoever is coming in here better be friendly.'_ Seonghwa glances at his Chevaliers, who are halfway done transforming.

_**"Wooseok, stand guard in front of the office door. Do not hurt Yeeun and Elkie. Yuto, protect me."**_ Seonghwa commands.

His Chevaliers force their bodies to move. When they stand, Seonghwa is surprised at how big they've gotten. They were already tall before, but it looks like they grew 2 more inches. Seonghwa isn't exactly short but right now he feels like a dwarf next to his towering Chevaliers. Strangely, he feels a bit safer knowing these two got his back.

Wooseok is unwilling to stray too far from his Sire. He's not directly in front of the door as Seonghwa hoped, still, he's near enough that he could fend off any who may attack the girls.

"I'll handle the ones at the entrance, you cover for me." he says to Yuto, who nods wordlessly.

Then, the corrupted chiropterans announce their appearance with rumbling grunts accompanied by a sickening stench and rattling chains.

The ones from upstairs were turned too late; they're severely decomposed to the point where not even pure vampiric venom would restore them. They had maggots eating away at their bodies, rotten guts bursting through their bloated stomachs, and their gaping mouths dripping with murky blood. The maggots have eaten their eyes, nose, and tongue, and their faces now look like ghastly skulls with bits of flesh clinging to it.

Recently-turned chiropterans still have venom coursing through their bodies, meaning they're a bit stronger than regular strigoi.

Speaking of strigoi...

From the entrance, Seonghwa is faced with 8 very hungry chiropterans. He attacks first, leaving Yuto to handle the fledglings. He picks up a plastic chair from the floor by its legs and slams it into the head of the first chiropteran he reached.

The chiropteran's skull caved in from the force of his strike, which also broke the chair's back. He shoulder tackles the one to his right, shattering its ribcage, incidentally dodging a spray of bloody brain matter from the first one.

As the second chiropteran stumbles back, Seonghwa thrusts his right claws into its chest, piercing its heart. Sensing a third behind him, Seonghwa pulls his claws out of the chiropteran's chest and elbows it in the face, knocking its jaw off and kicking it aside.

A fourth chiropteran appears behind it and chomps on his arm. Seonghwa bites back a scream and swats the monster with what remains of the chair. His makeshift weapon and the top part of the chiropteran's skull break, freeing his arm and splattering him with blood. The relief is short, as he dodges to the right, avoiding two chiropterans who lunged at him.

His foot catches on what seems to be a metal pipe, so he picks it up and swings it at the chiropterans, bashing their skulls. Another one attacks from the right side and he steps back, avoiding it while swinging the pipe. It hits the chiropteran, but not before the creature claws his arm, leaving bloody scratches as it falls.

Seonghwa is backed against the wall, panting. He should be keeping count of how many he's killed, but it's so chaotic in here he can't even check to see if his Chevaliers are okay, or if Yeeun and Elkie are safe.

Two more chiropterans attack from his left, another from his right, and even more from the front. There's nowhere to dodge.

He whacks the nearest one, sending its head flying off its neck. Seonghwa grunts, feeling claws and teeth sink into his left shoulder and arm. Another claw embeds itself on his right side and more jagged teeth bite into his arms.

_'There has to be more than 20... Definitely more than what I thought...'_

He can sense that Yuto and Wooseok are just as overwhelmed as him, so he can't rely on them to come to his aid. Chevaliers have their exoskeleton to protect them. Seonghwa doesn't, but he can regenerate faster.

"Get off!" Seonghwa grunts, swinging his weapon, catching some of them in the head. He wrenches his other arm free and swipes his own claw at them. Each chiropteran that falls is replaced by a new one in this seemingly unending cycle.

He allows the chiropterans to scratch, stab, and bite him, letting his body heal itself. Dodging costs more energy than regenerating. After what felt like hours of using his own body as bait, he gets rid of the chiropterans surrounding him, but it's taking a toll on him.

Seonghwa breaks away from the chiropteran horde. He takes a few seconds to catch his breath when he senses the foreign presence here, just a few feet away from him.

And he knows who it is.

He looks behind him to see a short white-haired man with a kukri hacking away at the chiropterans who were trying to escape. He's wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, gray camo pants, the belt bag slung across his chest has Polaris' emblem and another kukri is in his waist holster.

The man turns to him, his glowing red eyes locking with his blue ones. Seonghwa spares him a smile before returning to the fight, ignoring his body's plea for him to take a break.

It bites him in the ass almost immediately, as he didn't notice a chiropteran come up behind him. The creature attacks, leaving four jagged scratches on his back, making him stumble forward... into the man's waiting arms.

Even with Seonghwa slumped against him, the short man easily kills the chiropterans around them.

"I'm here now. You'll be safe." the man assures him, moving them away from the horde, which numbers slightly less than before.

Seonghwa looks behind his shoulder and sees Yuto has gained the upper hand in the fight. Wooseok is doing a little better too. The blonde takes the other kukri from the man's holster, intending to rejoin the fight, but the man backs them into a corner.

Most of the action is now centered around Yuto, but there are some who are scratching at the office door since Wooseok strayed too far. Just the thought of what could happen to Yeeun and Elkie is enough for Seonghwa to free himself from the man's hold. Before he could run to them, the man grabs him by the wrist and pulls him back again.

"Let go, Hongjoong." Seonghwa said, glaring at the man.

"You're too weak to fight, my dear." the man named Hongjoong insists.

_Is my poor little flower too weak that this midget has to defend him?_

Of course, the Wolf - _Singnie_ \- only appears to taunt him. Seonghwa wrenches his wrist free of Hongjoong's grip and jumps back to the fighting in the middle of the lobby, cutting down chiropterans with the kukri.

His Chevaliers are doing a good job. Yuto is slicing them with the blade-like exoskeletons on his forearms. Wooseok is wrestling three at once, but the clumsy idiot trips and falls on top of them. The chiropterans are crushed under the weight of his heavy exoskeleton.

Seonghwa tries to pull Wooseok up, but he's so heavy, the blonde loses balance and falls on his bottom. Chiropterans have scratched past the wooden door and he can see Yeeun stabbing them with the makeshift spear through the holes.

Yeeun's arms are covered in blood, but she's desperately fending them off. He can't see Elkie from his position, but he can hear her screaming.

"Yeeun! Hang in there!" Seonghwa gets up and runs to save them... until a downed chiropteran yanks him by the ankle, sending him falling face-down.

The blonde breaks his fall with his hands. Wooseok lugs his heavy arm to crush the chiropteran's head.

Another chiropteran attacks him from above. It's too fast for him to dodge and too near to use his kukri, so Seonghwa shields himself with his arms. He braces himself for the pain.

But it never came.

He looks up to see a headless chiropteran crumpling in front of him. Hongjoong kneels in front of him and gently wipes away some of the blood on Seonghwa's cheeks with his thumb.

The blonde, weak and injured, sag in his arms, and Hongjoong gathers him into a hug, making him feel small and fragile (which he isn't... not really).

They look like the last lovers in the ending of a tragic movie.

"They're here." Hongjoong said softly.

As if on cue, six people in the same uniform as Hongjoong dash into the building, brandishing their kukris. Immediately, a female member eliminates the chiropterans attacking Yeeun. She stands guard at the door while her comrades rush to help Yuto and Wooseok.

The tallest of them - Sungjae - glances at Seonghwa and gestures him to get out of the building.

**_"Wooseok, Yuto! Get out! Now!"_** Seonghwa commands. _**"Yeeun and Elkie will be safe. Polaris is here!"**_

Yuto bursts from a pile of dead chiropterans, covered in the murky dark red blood of the monsters he killed. Wooseok manages to get up, struggling with the weight of his exoskeleton. Seonghwa was going to stand when Hongjoong picks him up, bridal-style.

"H-Hongjoong! What?!" Seonghwa protests, but holds onto the short man's shoulders for balance.

Hongjoong hums smugly and carries him out of the building, Wooseok, and Yuto on their heels. Or as fast as Wooseok can move while carrying 70 kg of exoskeleton armor.

❗️ **Gore Ends Here** ❗️

~

**5:54 p.m. | Inside the Office**

Elkie forcibly pulled Yeeun away from the ruined door as soon as the woman from Polaris arrived. The short-haired girl suffered numerous scratches all over her arms from fighting the chiropterans who were trying to get inside. Their makeshift weapons were effective, but they were brittle, and pieces of metal broke off bit by bit until only a short stick and a wrecked door stood in between them and a horde of chiropterans.

They were nearly overrun when they heard Seonghwa call out to Yeeun, which gave the girls the morale boost they needed to survive the attack long enough for the Polaris woman to save them.

Now, the girls are huddled together, beside Hyunggu's cold body. Elkie is hiding behind Yeeun while the short-haired girl clutches hopelessly at the remnants of her weapon.

Elkie jumped a little when they heard Seonghwa yell for Yuto and Wooseok to leave the building.

"Is that our cue? Do we leave as well?" she asked.

"No." Yeeun replies gruffly. "There are still more of those fuckers out there. Yuto and Wooseok can get out cause they're fucking monsters too."

The reality of Yuto and Wooseok killing Hyunggu is hard to accept, but the longer she denies it, the more it'll hurt them. She wants to blame them, she wants to blame Seonghwa, heck, she wants to blame _Hyunggu_ for suggesting they visit this place. But maybe she could've stopped it... if only she told him not to come here... he'd still be alive...

"Quit crying." Yeeun hissed. "We'll be safe."

"I-It's not that... I-It's Y-Yuto and W-Wooseok.. a-and Seonghwa too..." Elkie sniffles. "I-I don't want to blame them... I-I don't want to blame _anyone_..."

Yeeun sighed. "Can we deal with this when we're not cornered in a moldy room with Hyunggu's corpse?"

Elkie glanced at their friend's body. Hyunggu looks like he's just sleeping, if not for the blood all over his clothes. She turns away, holding Yeeun a bit tighter. "H-Hwa's gonna shoulder all the blame... b-but it was Y-Yuto and W-Wooseok who d-did it..."

"We're all at fault for this shit." Yeeun spat.

Elkie whimpers. She was thinking of what to say when the Polaris woman kicks the door open, ripping it off its hinges, causing the two girls to jump back in shock.

"Relax. You're safe now." the woman said. "You can call me Seungyeon unnie. I'm here to save you." she adds, extending her hand out to them.

Yeeun stands up, weapon lowered but still in her hands. "What about our dead friends?" she asked.

Seungyeon glances at Hyunggu's corpse. "A recovery team will collect later. For now, our priority is to bring you to a hospital for treatment and contact your families. Now, will you come with me?" she asked.

Elkie nods, picking up her backpack. She notices Seonghwa, Yuto, and Wooseok (and Hyunggu) left their backpacks here, so she takes them as well.

Yeeun drops her makeshift weapon and slings her and Seonghwa's backpacks over her shoulder. She doesn't seem to be bothered by her wounds just yet. "Which hospital are you going to take us to?" she asked.

"Naraolla Hospital in Yongin. It's affiliated with Polaris, so you'll be treated for free." Seungyeon replied. "I know you have a lot of questions, but that can wait until we're all in a safe location."

The girls exchanged looks before following the woman.

Elkie takes one last look at Hyunggu and, with a heavy heart, smiles at him. At least the dead won't have to deal with the consequences of this unfortunate event.

When they finally step out of the office, the overwhelming stench of rotten corpses assaults them. They've grown somewhat accustomed to the smell after spending an hour or so in the building so it didn't make them gag. It was frightening, the way they adjusted to it so quickly.

Standing out among the mess of chiropteran bodies is that of a girl wearing the same uniform as them. She's been mutilated past recognition; the only things that can identify her are her clothes and her backpack, which can be found a few feet away from her.

Yeeun and Elkie felt horrible; they hardly mourned for Sakura even though she died first. While they're closer to Hyunggu than her, she was still their friend.

Seungyeon glanced at the student's corpse and back at the girls.

"Don't worry, we'll make her look presentable for her parents when we call them in." she said as if to reassure them.

"How do you make a mutilated dead body look presentable?" Yeeun asked, voice dripping with sarcasm, emphasizing the word _dead_.

Seungyeon turned to them, an equally sarcastic grin on her face. "We'll lay her out in all her bloody glory on a shiny silver table in a well-lit morgue and cover her with a pristine white linen sheet."

"That's dark..." Elkie mumbles, linking hands with Yeeun. The short-haired girl gives her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Point taken. Can we leave?" Yeeun asked, looking at anywhere except Seungyeon.

The Polaris agent nods. "Of course. The ambulance and the van are waiting for you outside. My other team members are still looking around the area so we'll go on ahead." she says, gesturing them to follow her out of the building. Yeeun nods stiffly and pulls Elkie with her, trying to avoid stepping on corpses along the way.

**6:00 p.m. | Outside**

When Yeeun looks up at the sky, the sun hasn't set yet, but it felt like they've been trapped in there for hours. Beside her, Elkie makes a small, startling noise.

"Hey!" she exclaims, pointing at the two vans parked outside - a silver Toyota Hiace and a white Ford E250 with Polaris' gold and logo on the sides. Yeeun didn't see anything strange with the vans, but as soon as she got a glimpse of her favorite boy (not that she'll ever tell him that) walking out of the white van, she knew why Elkie was startled.

Three people walk out of the E250 - the first one looks like a medic, who is effortlessly carrying both Yuto and Wooseok over his shoulders like they're sacks of rice. They've learned vampires are very strong, so this medic must be one of the blood-suckers. He's followed by a short man in camo pants, who is holding Seonghwa's hand. The blonde looks like he's been treated for his injuries and had a change of clothes - he's now wearing a white T-shirt and dark blue (or black?) shorts.

"Looks like they're done patching Seonghwa up. Your turn." Seungyeon says, glancing at the scratches on Yeeun's arms.

The short-haired girl nods, but her eyes never left Seonghwa as the short man leads him into the silver Hiace. Something about him doesn't sit right with Yeeun. He seemed a little too touchy-feely.

"Come on, don't wanna get your wounds infected." Seungyeon urges, leading the girls out of the bigger hole they made on the fence. A phone pings and Seungyeon takes hers out to read the message.

"The other guys are staying behind to clear the area. There are more of them upstairs. Minhyuk is also pursuing one of the uncorrupted chiropterans who escaped." she said. "Now, get in the ambulance. I'll interview you two while you're being treated. I'll also contact your families to notify them of what happened."

"What kind of cover-up are you gonna tell them?" Yeeun asked as she gets in the ambulance.

"Team Leader Sungjae and the local police department decided to go with black market organ harvesting. It's the only probable explanation why the corpses would look that bad." Seungyeon replied, helping Elkie get on the ambulance.

As soon as the door was closed, the two vans went on their way to Naraolla Hospital as if nothing happened.

~

**6:16 p.m. | Kang Family House**

Yeosang got ready to pick up Seonghwa from Elkie's grandmother's tea house. To make a good impression on Seonghwa's friends, he wore something cool but casual enough so he doesn't look like he put on too much effort. Just a nice shirt, the sleeves a little short so Seonghwa can see his gains, and some workout shorts, because he has some fancy socks to go with his Vans. Yeosang styles his hair when he goes to school and the hairspray still holds it in place, so he just made it neater.

After spending about 10 minutes admiring his own beauty, Yeosang leaves. He should text Seonghwa to inform him that he's on his way, but for whatever reason he decides to call him. After three rings, Seonghwa picks up.

"Hey Hwa, I'm on my way."

"Hello?"

Another man's voice answers. If he remembers correctly, two of Seonghwa's friends have deep voices and Hyunggu's voice doesn't sound like this.

This guy is more... squeaky. Like a mouse.

Yeosang freezes on the spot. He's not far from their apartment yet. If something happened to Seonghwa, he can run back to tell his parents.

"H-Hello... who are you?" Yeosang asked.

"Are you Park Seonghwa's relative? He's being taken to Naraolla Hospital in Yongin." the man replied.

Why is Seonghwa in Yongin? Weren't they at Elkie's grandmother's tea house?

"Yeah, I'm his brother." Yeosang replies, swallowing thickly. "Is he okay? Can I speak to him?"

"He's injured but in no real danger. He's unconscious right now, so you can't speak to him. Wait, hey—"

Yeosang hears Seonghwa's voice in the background, and he's yelling.

_"Hongjoong, what the hell?! Give me my phone!!"_

_"Eunkwang hyung, let me throw Hongjoong out, he's annoying!!"_

_"He's so small we don't even need to open the door, he'll fit through the window!!"_

It was followed by the sound of the phone falling down, someone yelling, Seonghwa making angry sounds, then someone picks the phone up again.

"Hello, this is Eunkwang, I'm a medic from Naraolla Hospital. As you've heard, your brother is okay, a bit injured but nothing serious! Do you want to talk to him? Here—"

But the phone falls again and he hears more background noise.

_"What the hell is wrong with you, Hongjoong?! Just let me talk to Yeosang!!"_

_"You're supposed to be unconscious, let me do the talking!!"_

_"Well I'm **not** unconscious, let me do the talking!!"_

More yelling, more angry sounds, then silence.

Yeosang is confused, but worried. He rushes back to their apartment to inform his parents that Seonghwa is being taken to Naraolla Hospital.

...And is riding in an ambulance (or is it just a van?) with a medic named Eunkwang and some crazy dude named Hongjoong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was it bloody enough?


End file.
